Death Isn't Enough
by Conejo-sama
Summary: Sequel to "Our Love Made Mistakes": The Shibuyas are in for a surprise when Mitsuki, the terror from Naru's past, comes back into their lives. With Mai out of the picture, Naru and Megumi have to face this perpetual dismay on their own.
1. Prologue

Hello my fan fiction… fans!

If you like the "Our Love Made Mistakes", then you'll love the sequel!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Prologue**

_Anger..._

_Frustration..._

_Sadness..._

_Helplessness..._

_These were the emotions I felt that day. That one formidable day that was never supposed to occur._

_Black snow fall from the gray sky. The air was cold and bitter. My eyes were moist and my condition was pallid as I looked upon her epitaph. I couldn't let anyone see me this way. Even when she was out of spite, I couldn't reveal my feelings. I was still afraid. I disregarded their contradictions. I knew they were bitter at me for letting this happen. I knew I was responsible for her departing; I could feel the disappointment and anguish in the air as our loved ones mourned. I covered my eyes._

_I couldn't reveal the condemned tears seeping out._

_I felt tiny fingers tug unto my coat. I looked down to see my daughter boring her eyes at me in bewilderment. I knelt down to her height, placing a hand on top of her head. "Everything will be alright, Megumi."_

_She grabbed my hand, hugging it to her chest. "Is Okaa-san coming home, Daddy?" she asked, her eyes shone with innocence._

_I was taken aback by her question. My heart quenched in melancholy. My baby girl continued to stare at me, but her eyes began to droop as the pregnant silence filled the air. I pulled her to my chest in fear of losing her, too._

_How was I able to tell my little girl her mother was never coming back home to us? How was I supposed to look into her chaste eyes and tell her she wouldn't be able to have the opportunity of becoming an older sibling?_

_How was I going to tell her it was my fault?_

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R&R!


	2. Birthday Surprise

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt.

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**Chapter 1: Birthday Surprise**

It seemed more real than a dream. The sudden heavy feeling of guilt filled in my chest. I would soon die before I would ever let that happen, if it would ever happen.

The heavy burden on my chest suddenly felt more real than a dream. I reached to the right, blindly. I felt nothing but a cold, empty space. Fear welled up inside of me. I eyes shot open, and they met a pair of candid amber eyes. Acting on impulse, I quickly rose from my position and caught the cackling girl. I hugged her close to my chest, virtually suffocating her. "Don't scare me like that, Megumi." I held her closer. I was afraid the fear of lost would overwhelm me again.

"Daddy! Let go!" I heard her muffle in English.

"Gomen, hime." I kissed her forehead.

"Megumi-chan!" I heard my wife's voice from beyond the kitchen. "Don't wake your father up like that. I told you to wait!"

"Gomen, Okaa-san."

"Go help your mother." I instructed.

She smiled. "Happy Birtday, Daddy." She gave me a curt peck before retreating to the kitchen.

I could immediately smell the culinary creations my wife made this morning. The scent grew stronger. Soon, my wife appeared with that beautiful smile I fell in love with. In her hands was a tray with taiyaka, a sliced orange, and a cup of tea on top. "She wanted to be the first to say it to you." She informed me. She set the tray in front of me and kissed my cheek. "Happy Birthday, Naru."

"Arigatou, Mai." I gave her a chaste kiss in return. "Breakfast in bed. How elaborate." I thanked her sarcastically yet ironically.

She blithely hit my chest. "You're welcome."

I knew Mai would make too much of an effort to make my birthday special. I appreciated what she did for the last three years, but I had been very concerned about the current condition for the last three months.

"By the way, when did you get up from bed, Mai? You know you shouldn't get up so early in the morning."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about me, Naru. I'm fine. Today's your special day."

"I know, but you shouldn't be working too hard. We don't want another dangerous pregnancy."

"It's only breakfast. Besides, I'm only in my thrid month." She held her imperceptibly small abdomen with one hand. The other took mine. "I'll be fine, I promise. Now, eat your birthday breakfast before it gets cold. Megumi made most of this herself, and I'm sure she would be disappointed if her daddy didn't eat the breakfast she especially made for him on his birthday."

"Your use of iniquity is still infallible, Mai, but thank you."

She gave me her cheeky smile before releasing my hand and attending to our daughter. The vapid feeling in my chest abruptly emerged once again when Mai's touch dissipated, along with her warm presence. The memory of that obscure, conjured up scenario was beginning to develop. I clutched my head, lightly. The thoughts of my family drove that negative thought out of my mind. I regulated my breathing to pacify my anxious nerves and ate my breakfast.

I wasn't going to let some malignant phantasm ruin my birthday again.

* * *

Mai did not make this day as extroverted as she usually did. Instead of those extravagant parties we had with our friends, she decided I should be able to do what I want for my birthday. I chose to go to the park, a place our family always enjoyed. I wanted to make the trip easier on Mai, and Megumi definitely anticipated going there.

"You never want to go to the park, Naru." Mai said.

"That's because I never have time to go to the park. I run a business, Mai."

She hugged my arm. "I know you're doing this more for Megumi than yourself, Naru. She does miss us whenever we have to go to SPR."

I was fully aware of that. Megumi wasn't allowed at SPR because we feared the control of her PK would become amiss if she ever came in contact with any spiritual phenomenon. We left her at Madoka and Lin's home where she would be with Madoka and their son, Jun. Lin and I worked with her after we closed the office using the same techniques he used on Gene and I when we were younger. Because of those cerebral exercises and work, it was difficult for me to spend time with my family. I did all I could, but I still felt it wasn't enough. Going to the park today would be a nice opportunity to spend time with Megumi.

A transient walk was reposing. Megumi ran ahead of us while Mai and I walked leisurely, her arm still hugging mine with her head in my shoulder. "This was a nice idea, Naru."

I nodded in agreement. "I'm glad you decided not to plan a party this time."

"Whatever. I know you like the parties. I just decided not to plan one because I'm pregnant, and I didn't want to deal with all the trouble of preparing it." I was wondering how'd she get that much energy from preparing me a party in the first place.

After a while, I could hear Mai's breath staggering. I quickly searched for a nearby bench for Mai to rest on. "I'm not tired, Naru."

"Don't push yourself for my sake. If you're tired, say so."

"Fine." she pouted.

Megumi ran up to us also carrying a concerned look on her face. She was a very perceptive child. "Are you and ototo alright, Okaa-san?"

Mai nodded. "I'm alright, baby. Do you mind if Mommy doesn't join you on the playground this time?"

She nodded eagerly. "Hai!" She ran to the sandbox, which was already occupied by another child. She happily joined the boy with whatever he was building in the play structure. He looked aproximately the same age as Megumi.

"Mai, does Megumi know that boy?"

Mai looked out to the playground to see who I was talking about. "Hai, that's Ren. She met him the last time we came here."

I was impressed by this piece of information. Though Megumi was a very gregarious around our family, she was a very timid girl in front strangers, which made it difficult for her to make friends. Mai would usually play with her in order to give her a little push, but Megumi would never take a chance. Hearing about her friend made me feel proud of her, but a male friend didn't put me at ease.

"I know that look, Naru. Don't put a curse on that boy. They're just friends, and they're only four."

"They could be more intimate in the later future, Mai. You don't know what they could do nine years from now."

She rolled her eyes at me, again. "Megumi and Jun play together all the time."

"He is Lin's son. He is able to control his hormones."

"They're _four_. Now, stop thinking about our daughter's future and enjoy your birthday."

She put her head on my shoulder, and I put my head on top of hers, gingerly putting an arm around her shoulders as we both continued to watch Megumi play with her new friend. I was still watching the boy, but my eyes soon drifted on Mai's placid complexion. She was already asleep; fatigue was already affecting her at this early stage of pregnancy. It was nice to see her this way every once in a while.

I brushed a loose stray of hair from her face and continued to look at her face before falling asleep myself.

* * *

Tonight, Mai made reservations at a restaurant for us to spend time together alone. We dropped off Megumi at Lin and Madoka's. When we arrived, I was a little baffled at how exceedingly expensive the place appeared to be. I wondered how she could afford something like this.

"Mai, how'd you get the money to pay for this?"

"Madoka." She simply answered.

"I should've known."

Expensive it might have been, it was still nice of her to have us come here. Mai and I exceptionally had a hard time being alone together. With us getting ready for the new baby, tending to Megumi, and work, we had a lot on our plates. I was glad she had the opportunity to set this up for us. But soon, I was not able to take the atmosphere that was inside the restaurant.

A majority of people-specifically men-were staring at Mai sublimely. I was not pleased. I was obsessive when it came to Mai, especially around other men who had the courage to be so flirtatious while I was around. Mai was attractive though, before and after her first pregnancy. Her satiny brown hair, hazel eyes, and lean figure were a turn on for me; she was too precious for other men to look at. I was not satisfied whenever another man talked, touched, or even looked at her (unless it was Takigawa-san, who very much enjoyed getting on my nerves by breaking though rules).

"Stop scaring those poor people, Naru." Mai scolded me when she saw my demonic glare.

"I will not have them look at you like you're an object; you're my wife."

She rolled her eyes at me once again that day. "Well, they're obviously blind if they can't see this." She held up her hand to show off the white golden band wrapped around her ring finger. Numerous people turned their heads back around gawkily when they saw it gleam. "And if they still don't get the picture, I'm sure my fat body will turn them off."

I took her hand and kissed it tenderly. "You're beautiful, Mai."

"You're lying, but I'm flattered."

I smiled at her. "I'm glad."

After dinner, Mai had something else planned in mind. I hoped it wasn't another surprise party, but when we got home, I didn't see anyone pop out from behind our furniture. She pushed me to our bedroom and commanded me to wait there until she was done with whatever she had to do.

As I waited, another thought came into my mind. "We forgot Megumi at Lin's house."

"She staying with them for the night!" Mai replied from our bathroom.

"Why?"

The lights in the bathroom suddenly turned off. The door opened to reveal a very, _very_, sexy Mai. She was wearing a black lace dress that had a revealing bra. The lingerie she was able to covered her baby bump very well, but it also showed off her curves. She leaned against the door frame seductively. I watched her every move as she took slow strides towards me. Once she was near the bed, she sat on my lap and touched my cheek. "I thought tonight should just be us. Alone."

I smirked. "I love you, Shibuya Mai."

"I love you too, Shibuya Kazuya." I grabbed her shoulders and reached for her lips. Once our lips met, I pulled her on her back and pinned her arms down. The fabric over her stomach outlined its actual size.

"Mai, are you sure?"

She touched my cheek. "The baby will be fine. This is your night, Naru. I promise nothing bad will happen."

I smiled. "Arigatou."

I pulled off my shirt, and our fun began.

This was the best birthday I ever had, so far.

* * *

Hey! Chapter 1 is done! I'm sorry this wasn't in more detail, but I'm not good at writing lemon, only fluff. I just realized something when I wrote this: the appreviations of the title spell out DIE, which was completely by accident! Well, it fits with the story.

_**R&R!**_


	3. Something Out of the Blue

**Chapter 2: Something Out of the Blue**

The next day, I was relieved to see Mai was still in bed when I woke up this time. I held her close to me, touching her delicate, bare skin affectionately. I gave her one last kiss before I removed myself from our bed and got ready for the day.

It had been one day after my birthday and we already had to go back to work. It was a real disappointment; for once in my life, I felt... _lazy_. Work was the last thing on my mind, especially since I had others things to concentrate on:

Mai's health, Megumi's education, and other things outside family and the unearthly. There was also my parents.

I hadn't forgotten about my parents. It was unbelievable I hadn't talked to them in almost five years; I wasn't ready to tell them about Mai and Megumi yet. The inappropriate incident of Megumi's conception would put them in a tizzy. My mother's reaction would be palpable because was sentimental about this kinds of things, but my father, however, was a very unpredictable man. He was very generous, but there were those rare instances that made him vehement. If I told him I had a child at the age of eighteen...

I would find out if he ever came to SPR.

My parents trusted me, though. After Gene's funeral, I told them about staying in Japan and continuing the miniscule branch of the family business. I didn't give any specific details of why I changed my mind about returning to London, but they accepted my decision. I discussed this with Mai, also: if she were to run into one of my parents (I showed a picture so she'd know who they were), she would only exchange a few brief words, leave, and pretend that she had never met them. I even changed my number as soon as we moved into our home if they became suspicious (even though they were already). I would have to introduce them to each other eventually, though. Hiding a secret like this was not very easy; the fact that I was still ambiguous about it was incredible, but I am a genius, after all.

Now that I thought about it, I was still hiding more secrets from everybody. I hadn't told everyone else about my real identity. I was the reowned Professor Oliver Davis. There were only certain people who knew about my existence (Mai, Lin, Madoka, and not to mention Masako and my parents), and it was astonishing Ayako and the rest of them still hadn't figured it out. Mai still had a big-mouth, but she would know when it would be opportune to tell them.

As soon as I was up, I got ready for work. I let Mai stay in bed for a bit as I prepared breakfast. I sat at the table, sipping my tea when Mai came around the corner in a robe. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty." I greeted her.

"Mmm..." she mumbled as she rubbed her eyes. "You already made breakfast?"

"Don't worry. I made twice as much for you."

She _harrumped_. "Just because I'm pregnant, doesn't mean I'm a pig!" She immediately partook her meal.

"Yes, it does."

She continued to eat, but she gave me her enforcing stare. It wasn't effective, but it was cute. I let her have her glory, but it was mostly a victory for me since I was the one enjoying it.

Later, Mai changed into her clothes and we left to go to the office. We would pick Megumi up at the end of the day since she would be staying with Madoka and Jun. Once we arrived, Mai was ambushed by Takigawa Houshou, who was receiving a glare from yours truly.

"Mai, I'm so glad you're alright!" he exclaimed. "Did that demon torture you last night? I know it was his birthday, but you don't have to hide that he hurt you. Just say the word and I'll-"

"Get off of her, you stupid monk," Matsuzaki Ayako, who was now Takigawa Ayako, plucked her husband off of my wife. They had been married for two years and she still wouldn't call him by his first name. "And you won't be doing anything. Mai's a grown woman. She can think for herself. And I'm sure Naru wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Now turn off your 'Big Brother' mode"

"I appreciate your advocatory actions, but I'm still not giving you a raise." Ayako scowled. She and Takigawa started working at SPR full-time a few years ago. Since they were free most of the time, I thought it was fair to pay them for their services, and in return, they would be committed to work for me 24/7. We were also subordinate to them everytime they were in occult predicaments, so it was only right to employ them. I couldn't hire John because he was a priest, but he would gladly help us whenever we needed him. We lost contact with Masako, however, when she decided to produce her own talkshow about the paranormal. This started right around the time after Mai and I had wed. She was still bitter, even though she wouldn't admit it, which was probably the main reason why she stopped calling us. I could care less (and I do) because of the blackmail, and I was relieved when she finally left me alone. I trusted she would keep my secret; she was not as superficial as she seemed. "Is Lin here?"

"Yeah, he's in his office." Ayako informed me corosively. "He's been waiting for you."

"Good. Mai, tea."

"Hai!" She giddly ran to the kitchenette, followed by the imp.

"Why are you making your pregnant wife work so hard, Naru?" Takigawa took the kettle away from Mai. "I'll do it, Mai."

"Bou-san, it's just tea," she said, taking the kettle back and continuing her work. "I'm only in my third month. I can still do things on my own."

"Leave her alone, Takigawa. If Mai says she can work, she can obviously make tea. Leave me to worry about her." He glared at me before sitting on the couch next to his wife.

I knocked on Lin's door and waited for a reply. I entered when I heard a response. "Is there something you need, Naru?" He said. I glanced at his desk. There was a picture of him, Madoka, and their son Jun. It didn't take long for them to start a family. I first heard about Madoka's pregnancy and their wedding plans from Mai, who was the first one they told. They eloped, and Madoka had their son in China. They came back to Japan a year later and they continued to work for me.

Their situation was more... complicated didn't justify it. Their family grew fast, faster than I can say for Mai and myself, and it was indeed more innocent. I was happy for them, though.

Lin was not a fan of kids, but Jun was different; he loved his son dearly. He taught him to be prompt and he didn't question his father. However, his mother also taught him not to, as I quote, "be a killjoy like your father." He was perfect image of any average child who knew how to enjoy life, but at the same time, stay obedient to his parents. Looking at the picture on Lin's desk, I could see Jun's appearance was very unusual: his hair was brown, which was probably the result of Lin and Madoka's hair color; his eyes were chromatically distorted, one being green like Lin's, and the other was red, like his mother's; his skin resembled Lin's pale complexion. It was unusual he was born like that and a very rare coincidence. Madoka called it a gift: her "special little man". Lin and I tried looking into it, but Madoka insisted we shouldn't be bothered by it; she was very coercive.

As I seated myself in front of Lin's desk. I waited patiently as he prepared what he was going to say to me. After a few moments of silence, Lin began with an unexpected statement, "We need to talk about your parents."

A few minutes later, I responded by saying, "Next."

"I'm serious, Oliver," Lin said insistently. I knew he wasn't going to let this go because he addressed me by my original first name. "This needs to be discussed.

I gave him a stern look. "Why do we need to discuss this now?"

"You haven't talked to them in over four years. They'd been trying to call you on your birthday, but you wouldn't answer; they called me last night and asked me what happened to their son. Naru, if you don't tell them soon, they'll come down here and-"

"They'll come down here either way, Lin. No doubt they're already suspicious." I didn't when the topic of my parents was brought up. I anticipated their arrival, but not anytime soon. I was surprised they didn't come sooner. Considering that their only son hadn't made contact with them for almost five years, they had to be concerned. "What did they say when they called you?"

"Nothing of importance." I knew that was a lie because everytime my parents called, it was always imperative. Yesterday was my birthday; they might've had something to say. I waved it off, however, because there still were other things we needed to discuss.

The rest of the day was normal. A few clientele came, but most of them were frauds, claiming they had some sort of spiritual phenomenon in their homes when it was a simple gaffe of faulty plumbing or other simple mistakes. The day came to an end and we didn't have a case scheduled. "Finally, the day's over." Mai breathed out.

"Are you tired?"

"No, but all of those people were giving me a headache. Can you believe that lady thought her cat was possessed? Some of these people really need help."

"Well, when there's a sweet fad out there like ghosts, there are many people who want to get in on the action. They will over-exaggerate anything that may seem like a paranormal disturbance." Takigawa explained to her.

"It's a good thing Naru's here." I heard the former Matsuzaki mutter. "If only he would pay us more."

"And it's also a good thing that I'm the boss, who can fire you at any moment." I said. She stopped complaining then. "Let's go Mai. We still have to get Megumi."

"Hai! Bye Bou-san! Ayako! See ya tomorrow!"

We left for Lin and Madoka's house to pick up Megumi. When we arrived, Madoka attacked Mai with a hug (I didn't understand why nobody would abide by my rule about keeping their hands off of Mai). "Come in quietly. They both passed out in front of the TV." She led us into their family where the two sleeping children were. With the television's light radiating onto their bodies, we could see Megumi and Jun lying on the couch, their heads were up against each other. The two women ogled the adorable children while I devastated the moment by picking up Megumi's sleeping form from the couch.

"Naru, you ruined the moment!" Mai cried.

"You can stare at Megumi at home. Goodbye, Madoka."

The spontaneous woman waved as we left. At home, I put Megumi to bed and went to the kitchen to see Mai preparing dinner. "We should wake her up soon. Dinner's almost ready." she said.

"She wake up once she smells your cooking." I kissed her cheek.

I sat at the table as I watched Mai continue to cook. When she was done, I pulled her into my lap. "Naru, what are-" I interrupted her with a kiss. "Naru... you... you had enough... fun last night..." she said between each light kiss.

"Just one more before we wake up Megumi." The doorbell rang and she jumped out of my lap before I could give her another kiss.

"I'll get Megumi. You get the door."

I cursed literally and mentally at whoever decided to ruin the time I had left with Mai. But once I opened the door, I had regretted setting that curse. They were the most unexpected people who showed up on our doorstep. I could tell they were amused by my reaction even though I tried to look as impassive as possible. I felt like shutting the door, but I was taught better. _They_ taught me better.

"Hello, Mother. Father."

"Hello, _Noll_."

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**_R&R!_**


	4. Unnerving Guests

**Chapter 3: Unnerving Guests**

This was entirely my fault. Over the past five years, I had been very covert about my relationship with Mai and our growing family. My identity as the renowned Professor Oliver Davis was followed by a few antagonists I couldn't avoid especially when I was trying to find Gene, and "disappearing" seemed like the best solution; I continued to take cover even after I found him. And after troubling my parents with my yearly absence, I was not surprised to see them sitting in my living room, waiting for an explanation. It was just how I imagined it:

My mother gave me a sincere smile, one filled relief because of my presence, but it also told me that I was in an inconvenient situation. My father held a grim look on his face; his feelings were apparent. Mai, who had just joined us a few moments after my parents entered our home, stood behind me hugging an empty tray that had held the tea she offered to them. I could tell she was very frightened, looking at my parents as if they were the most formidable beings she had ever seen. I sat in a recliner, pondering on how I was going to defend myself. Megumi was secured in her room now awake, but we decided she and my parents would meet another day.

To clear the awkward silence that filled the room, I started, "How'd you find me?"

After my mother took a sip of her tea, she answered, "Your father and I called Lin last night because for some reason, we weren't able to contact our only son so we could wish him a 'Happy 23rd'. We were surprised to find out that you two were no longer living together." Her voice seemed bitter and no doubt disappointed. I was also mad, not only because my parents decided to come to my home uninvited and without warning, but also because Lin, my trustworthy assistant who I've known since I was very young, didn't tell me that they were coming to Japan. Madoka was mostly likely the who told them where I lived.

My mother took another sip before turning to Mai. A benevolent smile suddenly replaced the sad mask she wore a few seconds ago. She really did have an infirmity to young woman; she used to try to set my brother and I up with our female colleagues in high school so they could pose as her "temporary daughters". It didn't work out since we were much younger than they were. Now that she had seen Mai, I knew she was rejoicing on the inside. "I'm guessing you're the young lady who took my son away from me." Mai held the look of fear, until my mother began laughing. "I'm just joking, dear. I take no offense to that. It's about time my son settled down with a nice girl. Nolly was always the seclusive type."

I scowled at her. "Mother,"

"I'm sorry, we haven't even introduced ourselves properly," she said, ignoring me. "I am Luella Davis and this is my husband, Martin."

"It's nice to meet you, Davis-san." Mai bowed. "My name is Mai." I noticed Mai failed to mention her last name.

I motioned her to join me in the recliner, which was big enough to fit the two of us, and took her hand. This was the only protection I could give her at the moment.

"Now tell me, dear. Are you Noll's girlfriend?"

"Ano..."

"She's my wife." I answered for her. I saw my father raise an eyebrow, but he remained restrained. My mother was going to do the talking for them tonight. Or at least until we reached the breaking point of the conversation. I was sure to get a tongue-lashing from him, eventually. But no intemperate scolding was compared to my mother's.

"I see..." A gauche silence filled the room. I gave Mai's hand a tight squeeze. She softly rubbed my hand with her thumb. I could see my father's gaze stare at Mai sharply. I glared at him and his gaze went elsewhere.

My mother was also looking at Mai, but not in the abrasive way my father did. Her eyes turned soft, and I tried to see where she was pointedly staring. From what I could see, it was Mai's lower abdomen where our second child was growing. Her pregnancy wasn't hard to miss even though she was only in her third month. Mai must've had noticed this too because she abruptly put a hand over her stomach. My mother took a sip from her cup again and she finally said, "Mai, from what I can see, you're expecting. Congrats. I'm guessing this is your first child?"

I almost laughed at that presumption. Of course many people would assume we were expecting our first child since we look more like a newly wed couple than a family expecting their second child. I couldn't wait to see their reaction once I confessed the truth; it could've been quite amusing to me.

"Well, I'm very happy for you two."

"What I'd like to know is why you decided to keep all of this news from us." My father finally decided to speak up.

"Martin!"

"Maybe we should discuss this somewhere else." I said. "You're going to wake up Megumi."

"Who's Megumi?" Luella asked.

"Our daughter."

"Oh. And how old is she?"

"She's turning five in December."

They both suddenly fell silent. Truth had finally come out. My parents weren't the kind of people who blew fuses; they had plenty of control over their emotions. But right now, after discovering we weren't newly weds and we had our first child several years ago, it was clear that they were astonished and feasibly thwarted. "Maybe we do need to discuss this elsewhere." Martin said venomously. My mother averted her gaze to her lap.

"Fine. Let's go outside."

"No, you guys can stay in here." Mai offered.

"Mai, are you sure?"

She nodded. "I'll go check on Megumi." I really didn't want Mai to leave, but she gladly accepted that this was a private Davis matter. Of course, that just made me want her to stay by my side even more; for once in my life, I was petrified of my parents. As soon as she left the room, my father began reprimanding me.

"Noll, what were you thinking?"

"Martin, calm down. It's not a big deal."

"Yes it is, Luella. Our son had a child with this girl when he was eighteen, and he decides to tell us about it now!" He was talking as if I wasn't even in the room anymore.

"Her name is Mai, Father." I corrected him. "And stop acting like this is a problem. I like my life just the way it is. I'm content with my family, with Mai, Megumi and our soon-to-be son or daughter."

"But why did you start at eighteen? Were you that eager to start a family?"

I didn't know how I was going to defend myself from there. No, I didn't anticipate starting a family so early. The thought hadn't crossed my mind before the incident that happened to Mai and myself. But I wasn't going to tell them Megumi's conception was an accident and that Gene was the one who encouraged it; that would only prove I was guilty, and they would only assume I was staying with Mai and our child because it was my responsibility, not because I loved them. Truly, I did love Mai and Megumi very much, and I wouldn't have my life any other way. Also, if they were to know Gene possessed me halfway through our... _sexual engagement_, they would both pass out from the shock.

"I married Mai because I love her, and I also love Megumi. If I was still here because of responsibility, then I would've left a long time ago. I found Gene, and he's at rest; I'm sure he would agree with me if he was here today."

My mother's eyes dilated. Martin scoffed. "Don't bring him into this, Noll."

"I'm only stating the truth."

"You're in denial, Noll."

"You're the C.E.O. of the Society of Psychical Research. Stop acting like a psychiatrist."

"Noll! Martin! Stop acting like children!" My mother scolded us both. My father looked away. Those were probably his last words for tonight. "Now Noll, please understand. We're not mad, and I don't disapprove of your relationship with Mai." I heard the emphasis that she accepted our marriage, not my father. He grunted. She gave him a stern look before continuing. "I can also see that you're telling the truth. I saw how you were holding her hand, and the look in your eyes whenever you glanced at her. You really have grown since we last saw you." She took my hand and squeezed it.

"_Thank you, Mother_." I said in English.

She smiled at me, graciously. "Now, I think it's about time we be on our way. We can talk about this another day." My father didn't hesitate to get up from his seat and walk towards the door. He was frustrated, to say the least, but he remained quiet. As soon as his coat was on, he left. My mother took her time as she explained what they were going to do for the remainder of their visit. "We're staying in a hotel close to the SPR building where you work. This is the number for the room we'll be staying in." She handed me a small note that with the number she mentioned. "Don't hesitate to call. We'll be stopping by the office to see how you have been handling things. Oh and-"

"_Mother._"

She sighed. She knew I knew she was stalling. "Oh, alright. See you soon." She kissed my cheek. "Oh, and Noll, don't be too angry at your father. He was really worried when you didn't call, as was I. We're both relieved you're safe and sound."

"I know."

Before she left, she shouted, "And I expect to meet my grandchild before I leave Japan, Nolly!"

"Goodbye, Mother." I shut the door.

Finally, peace and quiet. It was deafening compared to the engaging conversation my parents and I had a few moments ago. I headed towards Megumi's room to see if Mai was still there. Megumi was sound asleep again, but Mai was not there. When I went to our room, I heard soft humming. I opened the door ajar to see Mai, now dressed in her night gown, brushing her hair while she hummed a lullaby. She had a melodic voice; it reminded me of all the times she sang to Megumi when she was a baby. It was another fine quality that made me fall in love with her.

As soon as her song ended, I decided to enter the room. "Singing to the baby again?" I said.

She turned to me a bit startled, and then smiled when she realized it was me. "Yeah. I was hoping for a reaction, but the baby hasn't moved yet." She put down her brush and held her stomach. "I guess we have to wait a while longer for this little guy to kick." She sat on the bed and patted the spot next to her for me to sit. "So, how was it with your parents."

I walked over to her before embracing her. "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The furniture's still intact."

"That's good."

"My mother's eager to meet Megumi."

"I'm sure she would like to meet her grandmother."

"But my father's furious."

"I bet."

"You're more levelheaded about this than I am. Are you feeling alright?"

She laughed. "I'm fine. I was kind of expecting them to react this way. You've always told me your mother always wanted a daughter and you're father isn't one to hold a grudge. I can just imagine my parents having a similar reaction if they were to come here randomly."

"I doubt that." I could also imagine the same scenario with Mai's parents. They would both appear at our front door out of the blue. Her father would give me the same look Martin gave Mai. Her mother would interrogate me, but she would wear the same sincere smile my mother had on her face when she saw Mai. I had a feeling her parents wouldn't be as generous; I was the one who impregnated their only daughter when she was nearly 17. "I'm sure they wouldn't be pleased about what happened nearly five years ago."

"Maybe they already knew what was going to happen..."

"What?" I gave her curious look.

"Nothing. Don't think about it too hard, Naru." She kissed my cheek. "Now, let's go have dinner. I'm starving!"

* * *

The next day, my parents didn't come in, but we did have an unforseen guest come in all of a sudden.

I was in Lin's office that day because I wanted him to explain to me why he didn't tell me my parents were going to visit me out of the blue. He didn't give me an immediate answer, but his rejoinder was not what I wanted. "You didn't ask."

"Lin, your job as my assistant is to inform about, not only the clients that come here everyday for some nonsensical reason, but also if my mother and father's suspicions drive them to come here so we can be prepared."

He didn't respond after that, so I left him alone for the rest of the day. Mai must've had heard me because when she came to serve me tea later on, she asked, "What were you Lin talking about?"

"Nothing," I said, concisely.

"It sounded like a very heated discussion."

"I can assure you, Mai, it was absolutely nothing." My voice had become low and irate.

"If you say so."

We heard the doorbell ring, indicating someone had come in. I wasn't sure if it was a imminent client or the monk being an imp, until I heard who it was.

"Masako?"

Both Mai and I gave each other the same look. We didn't expect her to show up anytime soon after she receded at our wedding, and it didn't seem like she would contact us ever again, even if she did need help with any case of spiritual phenomena. She appeared to be so busy with her show; it was insensitive to think that she still paid attention to her occult sensibility.

Suddenly, Mai took hold of my hand. "Well, it looks like we have a customer."

"Mai, we're not sure if she's a customer or not."

"We can't just ignore her. Bou-san already let her in."

"I think that was a mistake on my part."

"How so?"

"I hired the man."

Mai punched my arm. "Seriously, Naru. What are we going to do?"

"Calm down, Mai. I'll see what she wants. If you want, you can stay in here until she's gone."

She nodded and stayed in my office as I closed the door behind me. As soon as I walked into the lobby, I immediately recognized the young medium who used to blackmail me. She looked no different than she did five years ago, only her was now held up in a bun. She was engaged in a conversation with the monk and his wife, probably catching up with each other.

"Konichiwa, Naru." she said when everyone finally acknowledged my presence. "It's nice to see you again."

"It's been a while, Hara-san." I replied. "I hope you're not here just to socialize with my employees."

She covered her mouth her sleeve and laughed. "Same old Naru. Always right down to business. I thought you knew me better than that." Her face suddenly turned more serious. "I'm came here to offer you a case."

* * *

Hey! Happy New Year! Since it's a new year, I updated my profile page. Check out! It tells you about the new stories I'm thinking about writing, and there's a new poll. Please vote the poll, but not before reading about my new story ideas!

**_R&R!_**


	5. The Sly Medium

**Chapter 4: The Sly Medium**

"What is it that you want us to investigate?"

Masako closed her eyes as she tried to form the words she needed to say. I admit I never thought I'd see the day she'd come back to SPR, and it would be a lie to say I wasn't a bit interested in what she had to say. It was obvious she wanted more than our help; it was all over her face. But as she struggled profess why she came here asking for her assistance, I couldn't help but notice how little she felt about it, too, knowing she had stopped helping us years ago.

"You see," she said. "I can feel spirits in Yamamoto Studios where I work... The technical producers have been having some technical difficulties. If you've seen my last show, you can probably hear the static-"

"I fail to see what this has to do with the paranormal," I interrupted. I wasn't trying to be rude, but she knew better than to delay my time.

She sighed. "Like I said before, I felt spirits. I can't necessarily see them but I know they're there. We even closed the studio until further notice."

I would usually agree with Masako's assumptions, but she didn't have enough proof to support the possibility of any paranormal activity. "Technical difficulties are very common in studios; I'd understand if anyone would become suspicious."

"I have more proof." She took out a tape from the compartment of her sleeve and handed it over to me. "This is footage from our last broadcasting." She must've had known I had never seen her show, even though Megumi was one of her biggest fans, if she brought recorded footage for me to see.

"I'll watch it later; if I see anything unusual, I'll consider the case."

She smiled and gracefully bowed. "Arigatou, _Naru-chan_." As soon as she was out the door, I walked up to my office.

"Hara-san's gone, Mai," I called to my wife. "You can come out."

Mai hesitantly stepped out of the office. "What'd she want? Did she actually offer a case or did she just come here to flirt with you?"

"Both." I showed her the tape. "She gave me this; it's the only proof she has." She took the tape from me and scanned it over before quickly handing it back.

"She was all _over_ Naru, Mai!" The foolish motley came out of nowhere and put an arm around Mai. "If we take this case, it might break poor little Mai's heart, Naru."

"Stop with the theatrics, baka." Ayako pushed her husband off of my uncomfortable wife. "But I have to admit he's right. It's obvious Masako still hasn't gotten over you. If you go, she may try something... drastic."

"Stop saying such nonsense. This is nothing any of us need to get worked up about." But the way she pronounced my nickname was _very_ perceptible. Masako was serious when she wanted to be, but I wasn't so sure if she was serious about the case she offered or if she had other plans in mind. I had no intentions of getting involved with the reowned medium anymore than I had to. If she was dealing with paranormal activity, I was willing to cooperate until the job was done. "Lin and I will watch the tape to see if she was telling the truth. If she is, I'll consider it. Masako is a professional; she knows better than to interfere with my work by flirting." I held Mai's cheek. "I won't let anything happen, I promise."

"I trust you," she confirmed with a smile.

I released her cheek. "Now everyone, back to work! I don't this business to fall apart because of one unforeseen visitor."

Everybody immediately went back to their regular routine. I wasn't going to let Masako run my business into the ground. Her manipulative ways weren't going to get the best of me. If I disapproved of her "evidence", then I wouldn't take the case. If she tried to convince me otherwise, I'd be able to figure out a solution to fix it. Masako, I believed, knew better than to blackmail me, especially since I was already married. Her moves were predictable, but it was better to be prepared. Anything was possible.

"Lin," I called. "Masako sent us a tape of possible evidence for a new case. Set up for a video screening."

* * *

No one had ever tried to prove whether or not their situation had anything to do with the paranormal. They usually explained their case and I determined whether or not it was worth my time. Masako was no exception. However, since she decided to do things inversely, we needed some of our equipment since we didn't have a television set or anything of the sort at SPR. The equipment was more useful since it was able to detect the spectrum sitings more thoroughly than a medium.

We chose to watch the tape at night-Lin and I-and brought in the equipment to observe Masako's tape. I wanted this to be confidential because if something unexpected showed up on the tape, the monk and even his wife wouldn't cease their interrogations. Mai chose to stay at home for... other reasons; I didn't want her at the office at night. Lin also made Madoka stay at home even though she was anxious to see the tape. She eventually agreed for Jun's sake.

"Ready?" Lin said. I nodded for him to put in the tape.

The first few minutes of the tape showed Masako talking to a woman-a celebrity whose name I disregarded-who also appeared to a be a psychic. She claimed she could also sense spirits like Masako did, but she couldn't see them. That was around the time when the static intervened. The woman was suddenly thrown in disarray, claiming that a spirit was in the room. Masako got up from her seat and began to comfort the woman, but soon collapsed to the floor. A _henge_ appeared at the corner of the screen. "I've seen enough," I said. "I still haven't made a decision, but I'll consider it. You can take it out now."

But then something caught my ear. "Next time, we're going to be interviewing the renowned Professor Oliver Davis." I turned back to the screen to see Masako by herself facing her audience. The look on her face was more self-assuring than usual, an ominous glint had shone in her eyes. "As you people in the audience may be aware, Mr. Davis has been hiding from us for some time, but I'm sure he wouldn't want to disappoint his fans."

Now I knew why I despised her so much.

Before I did anything drastic, Lin ejected the tape. His face stayed impassive, but I knew he was just as stunned as I was. "She knew."

"I know."

"What are you going to do?"

"... Nothing."

Lin frowned. "Naru-"

"There's nothing I can do, Lin. Masako's bluffing. If Yamamoto Studios is really closed like she said, and if there really is a ghost, it will be difficult to tell the world about my true identity. How exactly would she do that?"

"She could do that in a number of ways."

"She would need proof."

"The tape-"

"She doesn't have _that_ tape. She has nothing. And thanks to this little stunt, I will not take the case, no matter what she does. Now," I grabbed my coat and my keys. "I'd like to go home and forget about what we saw tonight."

"Alright." Lin agreed.

Once we were done putting away the equipment in Lin's van, we went home. I was not surprised to see Mai sitting on the couch once I entered through the door. She had herself wrapped in a blanket, shielding herself from the cold. In her hand was a cup of fresh herbal tea. "Mai, why are you still up?"

"I'm not tired," she answered, which was obviously a lie.

"Mai..."

"I'm serious, Naru. I can't sleep. I can't stop thinking about..." She cut herself off. She was worried about what Masako was planning, what she could possibly do to me. To us. She had the right to be concerned, which was the reason why I wasn't going to tell her what I saw on that video tape. Mai was entering the second trimester of her pregnancy and she was already beginning to show. The last thing we needed was for her to put stress on herself and the baby.

I sat next on the couch and put an arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry, Mai. Everything's under control. I decided I'm not taking the case."

She rose from the couch, causing her blanket to fall from her shoulders. "You're not?" I nodded. "Why on earth _not_?"

My eyebrow rose in confusion. "This is not the reaction I expected. Mai, I thought you would be relieved if I didn't take the case."

Her face grew more downtrodden. "Naru, don't reject Masako's case on my account. She's just another client who needs your help."

"I know, Mai, but there's another reason why I rejected it."

"What then, Naru? Why on earth would you _not_ take the case?" I looked away, refusing to answer her. She sighed in exasperation. "Naru, I don't want this to blow up in your face if you don't take the case. Your parents don't even know that you haven't told the rest of SPR about your true identity. What will they think when they find out some celebrity medium reveals who you are on national television? What would we do then?"

Silence took over before I finally answered her. "My true identity is Shibuya Kazuya. Oliver Davis is an alter ego."

"Naru-"

"Mai, I'm still trying to find out who _I_ am. Oliver Davis is the name I took when I was younger, when I didn't anything about my past or who I was when I was born. The Noll my parents know is gone, and they know it." Mai froze. She had the same thoughts in her mind. She remembered the vision we both saw that day.

It was a vision of Gene, when he was still alive, visiting an antique shop in Minemachi to find some clues about our roots. Our mother, Shibuya Aiko, had given him some clues as well and, through the necklace, he showed me what he discovered right before he died. Now that Gene was dead, I felt it was my duty to continue what he started, but not before taking care of my family. Gene is a part of my past just like everything else I had endured the past few years, so our roots would always be second to family. I would continue SPR, but Mai and Megumi would always be my priority.

I hadn't told anybody, not even Lin or Madoka, about this piece of information. I didn't need more controversies between my friends and my family. I had enough to worry about, enough to bare on my shoulders. One day, I was going to listen to Mai and take that offer of going to Kyoto for vacation.

Mai sat back down, her eyes very sullen and dreary. "Where does she want you to go?"

"Yamamoto Studios."

She closed her eyes before looking up at me. "Could you at least visit the studio before you make a conclusive decision?"

"Mai-"

"Please, Naru." Her hand cupped my cheek. "I don't want anything bad to happen because you rejected her case."

I took the hand that held my cheek and set down in her lap. I saw her abdomen slightly protuding through her shirt. Then I looked up into her eyes. Her hazel orbs looked at me beseechingly. I couldn't stand to see her that way. "Alright. I'll go, but I won't guarantee that I'll take on the case."

Mai smiled. "Fine. And thank you."

I nodded. "Now go to bed. I don't want you to overexert yourself." She mumbled something incoherent about my "bossiness", but she complied.

I got up from the couch and offered my hand to Mai, who gladly took it as I helped her up. Mai waited for me to get dressed for bed so I would join her. As soon as she was in my arms, she said, "Good night, Naru."

"Good night, Mai," I said as I drifted off into a deep slumber.

* * *

"Thank you for your time, Naru," Masako said as she led me into Yamamoto Studios. "I promise I'll try not to waste any of your time." I decided to go alone because I still wasn't certain that I was actually going to take the case. I had to make sure Masako didn't have any ill intentions. Lin dropped me off himself, but it took me a while to coax him to leave.

The studios were vacant due to the strange incidences that were supposedly occurring. Nothing looked out of the ordinary happened so far, but I wasn't quick to judge. Spirits didn't give instantaneous responses to anyone who seemed like an immediate threat.

"You said you could feel the presence of the spirits," I said. "And there's more than one."

"Hai," she confirmed. "but for some reason, I'm not able to see any of them."

"Can you show me where you feel their presence the strongest?"

"Of course."

She showed me the set where they recorded her shows. Nothing unusual happened, but once again, I couldn't let my guard down so easily. Suddenly, the lights flickered on and off, then stayed off. It was the sign of a usual power outage. I thought it was nothing out of the ordinary, until the room filled up with cold air. Then Masako fainted. "Hara-san, what-"

"They're back," Her voice was low and subtle. "They're everywhere."

We stayed in that position for a while, but it didn't feel too comfortable. The ominous atmosphere grew thicker, room was at freezing temperature. I was just waiting for the apparition to appear. It emerged from the celling and slowly made its way towards us. The closer it came, the more it appeared familiar to me. Then I saw its eyes. They had the same menacing glow that looked at my Mai when she was pregnant with Megumi. It was the same phantom from before. And it was here for blood.

Masako then mumbled something incoherent into my chest and the _henge_ disappeared. The lights flickered back on.

"That was close," she said. "I was afraid she would actually do something this time." Masako removed herself from my arms and covered her mouth with her sleeve like she always did. "She's one of the ghosts we've been dealing with. I hope you'll still take this to consideration."

"I will," I said, the formidable _henge_ lingered in my mind. I looked at my watch. "I think it's about time I left, but before I go," I gave her a firm look. "I'd like to know why you would threaten to reveal my existence to the world."

Masako suddenly looked taken aback, as if I were talking nonsense. "Naru, I-"

"I don't want to hear excuses."

Now she had nowhere to go. She couldn't deceive me anymore, not while I standing there, blocking any chances of her departure. And I was _not_ planning on letting her escape until I had answers.

Masako was very hesitant to reply. She slowly removed her sleeve from her mouth, but a disturbance suddenly broke out. The roof of the stage trembled and before I could even react, Masako pushed me out of the way. Before a deluge of debris fell on her, I saw a sly grin slowly creep on her face.

* * *

Sorry it took so long. I know some of you were waiting for me to update!

**_R&R!_**


	6. Bad News, Cats, and Phone Calls

**Chapter 5: Bad News, Cats, and Phone Calls**

Masako ended up in the hospital as a result of the collision that happened ealier in Yamamoto Studios. I had a feeling she would pull a stunt like this. But she was not the one at fault.

I made many calls that day: Masako's manager, the fire department, nine-one-one, Lin and the rest of SPR. When the ambulance came, the firemen were still trying to bury Masako out of the wreckage. Lin and Mai also arrived with the Takigawas on their tail. Mai immediately jumped out of the car, which I was not too happy about, and ran towards me. "Naru!" She engulfed me with a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around my waist. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. And I don't want to see you jumping out of cars like that ever again."

Mai scoffed. "I couldn't help it! I was worried about you." Her face submerged into my chest as her engulfing hug tightened. "You're not hurt right? If I see a single scratch on you-"

I put a finger on her lip to stop her babbling. "Don't worry. I'm alright," I reassured her. "I wish I could say the same for Masako, though."

Mai released me and looked at the studios where they were still burying Masako out of the rubble. "What happened, Naru? How did this happen to Masako?" She gave me an accusing glare.

"I know what you're thinking, Mai, but I promise I didn't do anything. If anyone's at fault, it's the ghost."

"So there really is a ghost?" I needed affirmatively. "So does that mean you took the case?"

"In a way."

Mai's expression was of perplexity. "What does that mean?" I didn't answer. "Well, what did the ghost look like?"

I couldn't describe it, and I didn't want to explain to my wife the foremost purpose for taking the case, somewhat. I didn't want to put anymore stress on Mai by telling her about the _henge_ that once confronted her when she was pregnant with Megumi. "It was nothing, Mai."

"But Naru-"

"We'll discuss this later," I whispered austerely. "Right now is not the time." My tone indicated that I really didn't want to talk about, and Mai understood that perfectly.

"They still haven't pulled her out?" she said, incredulously. "What are they doing?"

"I don't know."

"Naru," I turned to see Lin walking toward us. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I said a bit irate. "I'm perfectly alright. There's nothing to worry about."

"Naru..."

"Shibuya-san," another voice came from behind but I didn't make an effort of turning around. "Shibuya-san." It was a fit man in a suit carrying a briefcase. "I am Masako's manager, Hiragashi Akira," he introduced himself. "I knew something like this was going to happen, but Masako didn't want to take any precautions. I just want to tell you there will be no lawsuits or any other controversies if you don't take the case."

"Thank you for informing me, but I've already made my decision: I will take the case."

"You will?" Lin said skeptically.

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Shibuya-san!" When the giddy man walked away Lin immediately antagonized me.

"Naru, what are you planning?"

"I'm planning to rid of this ghost immediately. Once Masako is out of the hospital, I'll get started."

"What do you mean you'll get started?"

Yep, I had a great deal of explaining to do.

* * *

I closed the office for the day and the rest of the week because of the incident. Masako was still in the hospital and her manager hadn't called to tell me about her condition yet. I wasn't going to begin this investigation until I got more answers out of her. I knew she was hiding from me, using her medical incapacitation as an excuse to not call me. If she wouldn't cooperate, I wouldn't be able to solve this case, and I knew the last thing she wanted was for me to change my mind.

Mai and Lin were still on my case about what happened with Masako and what my plans were. I still hadn't explained why I decided to take the case, but I wasn't planning on keeping my reason furtive for long. If I didn't disclose my purpose soon, they would bring Madoka into the picture.

It was already Saturday before I knew it. It was a balmy day, which was unusual in October. I stood a short distance away from where Mai was sitting. She was sitting on the back porch, watching Megumi, as she leaned against a thick post buttressing the roof outside. She was exhausted despite how calm she appeared. That was partially my fault since I kept her so worried about the case (I closed the office specially due to her condition) even though my sole purpose was so she wouldn't be stressed. Also, Mai just seemed more weary nowadays because of the pregnancy. I wished I could do something to ease the pressure, but for once in my life, I was clueless.

I wasn't around Mai most of the time during her first pregnancy. I didn't know how she dealt with this, but from what I could remember, she was never this tired. She was entering her second trimester; why was this so difficult for her?

I walked up behind Mai, who seemed to be resting. I sat down next to her and rubbed the small of her back. "Mai, are you alright?"

I felt her stiffen up against my touch, and then relaxed when she realized it was me. She rubbed her swollen abdomen simultaneously. "Yeah, I'm just a little sleepy, is all." Her suddenly positioned herself so her head was on my shoulder. I put an arm around her shoulder and rubbed it. "It's a nice day."

"I know."

I closed my eyes and listened to the serence sounds around me. The chirping of cicadas, the breeze of the wind, and then the hastened footsteps of a little girl coming toward me. "Okaa-san! Daddy!"

I opened my eyes to see Megumi with a wide grin on her face. Her clothes were winkled from playing and were tainted with a few grass stains. Her unruly form was not a surprise, but I did not expect to see a black cat in her arms. Its legs dangled as Megumi held the upper part of its body as securely as she could.

"Megumi," Mai started. "Where'd you get that cat?"

"He just wandered into the yard," she replied happily, as if this cat was some kind of gift. "Can we keep him, ne? Can we?" Her eyes became more round and her bottom lip trembled. "Daddy... please?"

"Naru..." Mai gave me the same look. I didn't know why she wanted to keep the cat, but I couldn't defy them both when they were pouting in unanimity. The cat was also staring at with its enigmatic sapphire eyes. I didn't want to give in, especially to a cat, but I was outnumbered.

"Fine, but just for today. This cat might have an owner."

"It doesn't have a collar." Mai noted. "It's most likely a stray."

"All the more reason to get rid of it."

"Naru!"

"I'm just thinking about you two. It could have fleas, or rabies."

"This cat looks perfectly healthy and pest free." She turned to Megumi. "We'll take him to a vet for a checkup."

"Does that mean we can keep him?" Mai nodded. "YAY!" Megumi cheered. She climbed up the porch and ran to her room.

"That thing better not have fleas." I muttered.

"Aw, don't be mean, Naru." Mai said. "It'll actually be nice to have a pet around here. And Megumi needs more companions." I had to disagree about keeping it, but I didn't say anything.

I helped her off the porch and we entered the kitchen. Mai sat at the table and gave me a stern look. "What is it, Mai?"

"Can you tell me now?"

I sighed. "Alright." I took a seat next to her. I took her hand with both of mine and rubbed her palm. She put her other hand on top of mine. There was worry in her eyes, which had me worried. This would be overwhelming news for Mai, and I feared what her possible reaction could be. I inhaled deeply before starting, "The ghost I saw... was the phantom we saw in my office five years ago."

"The phantom we say five years ago...?" It took her a while to regester what I said, and terror appeared in her eyes. "_That_ phantom?" I nodded half-heartedly. "But that means..."

I nodded again, dreadfully. "... Mitsuki is back." I felt a sudden sensation under my hands. Mai hands were shaking. She was completely paralyzed with fear. "Mai, don't be hasty."

Too late. Mai was already out of her seat, pacing around the room. "No, no, no. She can't be back. She can't be...!"

"Mai-"

"No, no, not her. Not her. She's not back..."

"Mai-"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no-"

"Mai!" I grabbed her wrists. "Please, calm yourself." I released her wrists and cupped her face with my hands. "It'll be okay. I'm going to dispose of Mitsuki for good this time."

"But the last time you confronted Mitsuki, you used your powers." She had a point. Five years ago, my eccentric, deceased aunt, Shibuya Mitsuki, tried to kill Mai before and after Megumi was born. She almost succeeded in eradicating us all when she deceived me by disguising herself as Mai. Luckily, Mai herself came and snapped some sense into me. We thought it all ended when I destroyed her with my PK; we thought wrong. "If your powers couldn't destroy her, how are you supposed to get rid of her now?"

"... I don't know." I pulled her close to my chest and clasped her securely. "But I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

"I know..."

And then she cried.

* * *

Mai went to bed early. This was an extremely emotional day for her and I didn't want to do anything to stress her out more. I stayed with Megumi for the rest of the night as her mother rested. She hadn't stop playing with that cat ever since she found it. I wasn't very pleased about having a "pet", but it made Megumi happy. Jun and that boy at the park were her only friends and with her coy nature, it was hard for her to gain more. Maybe this cat would be good for her.

I watched as Megumi began fiddling with something around its neck. I hadn't noticed it until just now, but the cat didn't have it adorned around its neck before. "Megumi, what is that?"

She smiled at me when I pointed it out. "It's a collar! I made it myself."

"You did?" I voiced in amazement. It was really incredible how talented she was. Megumi was very resourceful and artistic. The collar she made was very crafty; in fact, if I didn't know any better, I would say it was brand new. She even had a little gold plague sewn to the collar.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Now Jii-Jii's part of the family." She hugged the cat tightly. It looked quite uncomfortable, but the cat seemed content. The feline purred and Megumi giggled as its chest rumbled against her stomach.

"Jii-Jii? You already gave it a name?"

"Yeah! He told me to call him that. Do you like it?"

I glanced from Megumi to the cat. She was sometimes a mystery to me, even she was my daughter. Her powers were cryptic; we were at a deadlock on how many abilities she's capable of. Talking to animals was not on the list of feasible competences. It was difficult enough for her to control her PK. Megumi had so much in common with Mai: they both made me worry too much. Of course, she was also very similar to me in more ways than one, which made me fear for her future, especially now since Mitsuki came back into our lives.

Mitsuki wanted to eliminate me and Mai, but she wanted Megumi for a different purpose. I didn't know what, but I wasn't going to let her get to my daughter. I was going to keep Megumi ignorant because she was very sensitive about these things. Damn these powers!

"Megumi, cats can't talk." I said to her. The cat stared at me like it had before. Its eyes were hard on me, but they turned soft whenever Megumi would scratch its ears.

"But Jii-Jii did!"

"I'm sure he did." I continued to observe those two. I had an odd suspicion about the cat, but I didn't want to upset Megumi by getting rid of him.

"Don't worry, Daddy," Megumi said. "Jii-Jii said that he doesn't have any fleas."

"That's nice to know."

"You two don't seem to like each other very much."

"What makes you say that?"

"You two are glaring at each other."

I looked at the clock. "Time for bed, hime." I picked her up and threw her up. She giggled hysterically as I tossed her around. When I finally put her in the bed, her chortling ceased. I kissed her cheek softly and smiled. "Good night, hime."

"Nighty night, Daddy." She gave me a drowsy smiled being snoozing off. Jii-Jii soon joined her on the bed and slept by her feet. It wasn't in our house for that long and it was already adjusted to her room. I wasn't sure if I was too happy about that, but I left him alone. I was too tired to deal with him. I left the room quietly but kept her door open ajar.

I went into the living room and made a call. I waited for a response, then relaxed when I heard who was on the other side. "_Moshi moshi!_"

"Mother, it's me."

"_Noll! It's about time you called. We were afraid you'd never want to talk to us again._"

I knew my father was still bitter, but I didn't want to discuss it. "I need you to do me a favor."

"_Anything, Noll. What is it?_"

I inhaled before explaining my plan. Mai was not going to be happy with me.

* * *

I'm sorry to admit, but I think this story is going to be shorter than the first one. I'm actually not so sure. There are other stories I want to write and other stories I want to finish. And to those who haven't read my profile page yet, please do! And vote the poll! I'm serious, it's very hard for me to make a decision.

**_R&R!_**


	7. Admonitions

**Chapter 6: Admonitions**

"_Nolly!_" My mother lunged at me with a bear hug. I reluctantly returned her tight embrace. I was glad she agreed to come here by herself. My father was still bitter about the argument we had a few days ago, and I did not want him anywhere near Mai. The last thing I wanted was for Mai to be alone with my father. "I never thought I'd be in your home again. So, where's your lovely wife?"

"She's in the kitchen, but you should know-"

"Naru, who's at the..." Mai walked into the living room and then froze when she saw my mother. "...door?"

"Mai, you remember my mother, Luella Davis."

She continued to stare, but quickly broke her gaze when she realized we had a guest. "H-Hai, I do." She bowed slightly. "Konichiwa, Davis-san."

"Oh, come here!" My mom practically buried Mai in her arms, but she did so cautiously because of the bulge of a stomach she had. I cringed as I watched my mother cinch my wife. "We're family. From now on, call me Luella. Or better yet, mom!"

"O-Okay." Mai somehow found her way out of my mother's arms. "Excuse me, Luella. I need to talk to your _impossible _son for a moment." She grabbed my arm and led me into the hallway. "Naru, why is your mother here?"

"I invited her over so she can watch you."

Her mouth opened agape. "I'm not a child, Naru," she seethed. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't look after myself!" She suddenly paused. "Your father's not waiting outside, is he?"

"No, I asked my mother to come without him."

"Why-"

"You have an appointment today, don't you?"

"Yes, but I don-"

"I'm going to see Masako today," I informed her, "and I need someone to be here with you. I won't be here to protect you if she does anything erratic. Besides, this will be a good time for you to get to know your mother-in-law. I'm sure she'll be excited to see your ultrasound."

Mai had a pensive look on her face. "Can your mother perform any form of protection?"

"Not really."

She gawked at me again. "Then wouldn't it be better to call Bou-san or Ayako, or maybe even John?"

"Is everything alright?" My mother joined us in the hallway. "I heard shouting."

"Everything's fine, mother," I assured. "Well, I best be on my way."

"But Naru-"

I kissed Mai before she could say anymore. I embraced her securely and whispered in her ear, "Everything will be fine. Please bear with me. I need to get rid of Mitsuki quickly before she can do anything to you or Megumi." I kissed again and cupped her cheek. "I'll be back soon."

She nodded. "Alright." She kissed my cheek, which felt a little tense. She had nothing to worry about, yet Mai was always the type to be concerned all the time. "Be careful."

"You too." I squeezed her hand reassuringly before heading out to the car.

Going to the hospital might not be the smartest thing to do right now, I thought. My mother being there might not be the best protection, either. Takigawa, Lin, or John could've been better options, but my mother was more erudite in the paranormal profession than all of them. Reinforcements would've been nice, but none of them knew the situation at hand; Mitsuki was going to stay confidential. And the others were still oblivious of my true identity.

As I drove to hospital, I began to plot my primary actions as soon as I saw Masako. She knew from the start that she was possessed; I could tell in her eyes before she pushed me from my almost demise. She couldn't tell me, though. Mitsuki was preventing her from doing so. Of course, I couldn't look too conspicuous visiting her. I didn't want Mitsuki to know I knew she had acquired Masako's being. She didn't have complete control from what I understood, however, I didn't know how much time I had before she did and Masako would be completely lost.

As soon as I arrived at the hospital, I went to the nurse sitting at the front desk asked for her room. She had another nurse lead me there. Inside the room, I saw Masako sitting up against cushioned pillows, reading a book. When she saw me enter, a smile crept on her face, which was both of pleasure and iniquity. The nurse left us alone, oblivious of the tension in the room.

"Hello, Naru," she said, setting her book down beside her.

"Hara-san," I said. "How are you?"

"I've been better. It's not everyday you get crushed by a mass of debris."

"Well, Hara-san, knowing from experience, I think you're an exception."

She slightly giggled, but I didn't take this humorously. "You're always so serious, Naru, even when you're joking around." She set the book on the nightstand next to her bed and turned back to me. "I'm assuming you didn't just come here to check up on me, am I correct?"

I nodded curtly.

"I see."

"Hara-san, I wish we could talk under better circumstances, but-"

"You've always called me Hara-san." She suddenly changed the subject matter. "You never call me by my first name. I no longer work with you, Naru."

"Let's be serious here, Hara-"

"_Masako!_" she cried.

I wasn't fazed by her outburst; she seemed to be the only one who was abruptly astonished. It was out of character for her to be so rude, but I understood why she was so abstruse at the moment. She didn't want Mitsuki to come out of her again. But that didn't excuse her lack of decorum. At least, not to her.

"I apologize, Naru," she said. "I know you're just trying to help me. I'm sorry for being so difficult."

"Don't be. How long have you been like this?"

She gave me a dubious look and it quickly changed to realization. "A few months. I would've called earlier, but I didn't think it was anything serious."

I wrote some notes down as she explained the dilemma that occurred several months prior. My opinion of Masako suddenly changed. I thought her abilities would allow her to sense the paranormal whether they were inside her body or susceptibly overt; I was apparently wrong. But she must've known before she went to me, otherwise, this problem would've been solved sooner. Her goals would be revealed sooner or later.

As soon as she was done telling as many specific details as possible, I began my leave. "Wait Naru!" she cried out. I turned slightly. "What are you going to do?"

"Do you not trust me, Hara-san?"

"Iie, it's just... she..."

Before she could say anymore, Masako fainted. I called a nurse before I left and went on my way.

That trip was better than I anticipated. I didn't know what game Mitsuki was playing at, but she was planning something worse, worse than having my reputation revealed on national television.

And her target was Mai.

I drove home quickly with no traffic or any other impediments. Mai and my mother were already home. Mai was, to say the least, mad at me for missing her doctor's appointment. Her mood later changed, and she persistently apologized for being too impulsive. My mother stayed behind, to my displeasure, but everybody else enjoyed her company, especially Megumi. She was very excited to have a grandmother.

Mai had told Megumi about her parents once before, which made her feel lonelier than she had. She didn't know what it was like having grandparents, or simply just one grandparent, having a wiser relative, wiser than Mai or myself, watch over you, tell you the many accounts of wonderful escapades that they'd endeavored, dreams she'd hoped to pursue in the future. It was just one more pleasure in life she couldn't grasp. She had Madoka to care for her whenever we went to work, but I knew that wasn't the same. When she met my mother, Mai explained to me that she'd never seen her so interested in anybody else before. It was one of those infrequent moments I was grateful my mother was there.

After dinner, my mother dragged me into the hallway out of earshot. "What really happened at the hospital?"

I knew I couldn't hide anything from my mother. She was more perceptive than anyone I knew, besides Madoka, of course. "Nothing tragic happened. I didn't get much information out of Masako-"

"Wait. Hara Masako, the renowned medium? This is why you missed Mai's doctor's appointment?" She didn't wait for a response. "Naru, how could you?"

"Mother, trust when I say I will never do anything to hurt Mai. I love her too much and she knows that. She also knows I only visited Hara-san at the hospital to gather some information."

She sighed. "At least nothing happened. So, do you want to tell me what's going on, or do we have to do this the hard way?"

"Honestly, Mother, I'd rather not tell you just yet. It's something I have to deal with myself."

She frowned at me a bit for being so concealed; she didn't like it when I hid secrets from her- and that was no secret. "Alright," she said, "but just so you know you're not alone. I'm your mother and I'll always be there for you."

I nodded. "Thank you." I knew my mother would always be there for me, but I didn't want to involve her.

I was going to protect my family on my own.

* * *

It had been three weeks since I had contact with Masako. I didn't want to upset her again for something worse could happen if I did, but avoiding her would probably cause more problems than prevent them.

Mai, at the moment, was my new challenge. She was becoming intolerable. The pregnancy was making her irritable, which had been expected, but she was unusually daring, too. Even though she knew she had to be cautious during her pregnancy, that didn't stop her from doing things that were hazardous to her and the baby's health.

"Mai, what on earth are you doing?" I asked my wife. She was currently in the kitchen preparing dinner, but she momentarily stopped to reach for a bowl on one of the highest shelves in our kitchen cabinet. She had retrieved a stool to stand on, which was threatening to tip over.

"What does it look like?" she asked, sardonically. "I'm trying to get this bowl!" I walked up next to her and simply grabbed the bowl she was aiming for. She glared at me. "Asshole."

"I'm only helping you. You know pulling a stunt like that has consequences."

"I could've gotten it myself!" She angrily snatched the bowl from my hands and walked back to the stove.

"What are you making?"

"None of your business."

"Mai-"

"Naru! Can't you see I'm trying to cook? It's very distracting when you're breathing down my neck!"

I shrugged and left her alone to her cooking. I was adapted to this behavior because when she wasn't pregnant, she was more hormonal during a case. It wasn't as bad as her last pregnancy, when Megumi's power impeded me psychologically before she was out of the womb. Stressing out Mai would probably do the same if I provoked her, so I stayed away.

Megumi was also accomplished at evading Mai and her mood swings. She had become very preoccupied with "Jii-Jii"- a very unusual name for a cat, but I didn't say otherwise- and the cat didn't get enough of her affection. It trailed her everywhere she went and Megumi would merely soil it. This cat was also a huge stress-reliever for Mai. Whenever she sat on the couch to rest, the cat would come around nestle itself against her side. I was the only one who hadn't adjusted to this new member of our family. Everything was intact: it had no fleas, it wore its collar, and everybody loved him, except for me. He wasn't very amiable toward me, though, so we left each other alone.

I sat on the couch reading a newspaper as Megumi played with Jii-Jii. "Daddy, is Okaa-san alright?"

"Yes, she is."

"Then why is she acting so crabby?"

"She's under a lot of pressure because of the baby."

"Is ototo hurting her?"

I looked down at my daughter and saw her dangerously sad eyes. "No, Megumi. Your little brother isn't hurting her. She's just worried about him." I ruffled her hair a bit. "Don't worry about them, Hime. I'll take care of them."

Her frown instantaneously reversed into a smile. "Hai!"

I was glad she was ignorant about the case. She didn't know Masako was one of the few who were causing her mother's distress. Megumi was the only one I knew who liked watching Masako's show. She was disappointed about the show's sudden hiatus. She didn't know anything behind it, either, and I wanted to keep it that way. I didn't want her involved in this more than she already was. Mitsuki was after her too; I almost lost her once, but I would not allow that to happen once more.

"Naru!" I heard my wife call me.

Megumi grimaced at her sudden outburst. "It's okay," I consoled her. "Stay here."

I went to see why Mai had called me and found her teary-eyed. "Gomenasai, Naru!" She ran over and hugged me, which was very awkward for her because of her large abdomen. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that. It's just I'm so stressed by Mitsuki, and the baby, and do you think I'm fat?"

"No." I kissed her forehead. "You're beautiful."

"Can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Can you go out and buy some strawberries?"

"Sure." I released her when someone began knocking on the door. I went to open it and found Lin on the other side. I wasn't nearly surprised to find him at the door, but I was a little inquisitive as to why he brought Jun with him and why Madoka wasn't present. "Lin, what is it?"

"Jun saw something."

I gave Lin a bemused look before looking at Jun. His face was as detached as his father's, but behind that impassive stare, I could also perceive a bit of apprehension. His eyes were red, too.

Jun also had psychic abilities, but he didn't receive special training like Megumi had with her PK. He was clairvoyant, but he had no control over what he would see. Looking at his bloodshot eyes, I reckoned he possibly saw something horrendous. It was heartrending knowing a little boy his age had no power over the formidable images he saw. I remembered when I suffered as much as he did when I was younger; Jun and I were at an understanding.

I turned and led Lin into the living room. Megumi was still playing with Jii-Jii on the floor. When she heard us enter the room, her grin grew to a size I couldn't even fathom. "Ojii-san! Jun-kun!"

I saw a minuscule smile grow on the little boy's face. Lin set him down and he ran up to Megumi. She didn't seem to notice his tear-stained face.

We left the children to play and I led Lin out into the hallway. Mai didn't know Lin and Jun were here, and I wanted to keep our conversation clandestine. "What happened?" I asked as soon as I was certain nobody could hear us.

"Jun had a vision of Mai."

A vision of Mai.

I had a feeling this was more than just an admonition.

"What did he see?" I queried. Lin eyes shifted to another object in the room, probably to reach for a distraction preventing him from telling me the truth. I didn't see the point. What could be worse than seeing Mai's grave? "Lin, what did he see?" I inquired again.

"Jun wasn't very specific," he began, "but he did mention something about Mai… lying in blood."

I knew I wouldn't get many details if I didn't ask Jun myself. Lin already knew what I had planned. He glowered at me. "Naru, don't."

"How else are we to know-?"

"The premonition may not be accurate."

"He hasn't been wrong before."

"Yes, but he's still a child, as well as my son," his voice adjusted to a tone that startled me in a way it hadn't before, "and I won't allow you to have him remember something so vulgar just so you can get information."

I recognized the look on his face. Fraternal instinct, something I should've been familiar with. I couldn't hurt Jun, even if it would benefit to the case. If Megumi went through what Jun had…

"Fine. Where's Madoka?"

"With your mother."

I sighed. "Great." The two women who actually intimidated me were together. "Does Madoka know about this?"

"No. I didn't want her to worry."

"Then that's one less problem for us-"

A cry and the shuttering of glass were heard from the kitchen and Megumi immediately ran into the hallway, her eyes were filled with panic and were close to tears. "Okaa-san's hurt!"

I rushed into the kitchen with Lin hot on my tail. I froze at the scene before me:

Shards of glass were sprawled all across the floor, and Jun stood a safe distance away bawling behind the counter. Next to the shards were a few droplets of blood where I found Mai lying on the floor, unconscious.

"Mai!" I knelt down on the floor, disregarding the shards of glass that dug into my knees and pulled her to my chest. I glanced up at Lin and shouted, "Call an ambulance! Hurry!"

He left hastily and I remained on the floor with my wife. Her hands were bleeding from the cuts. "Mai, wake up," I whispered calmly. She didn't respond. I hoped she was having a dream, a very helpful, benign dream. Then again, Mai never had those dreams, and I knew she wasn't having one now. She cringed and clutched her stomach in pain.

"No, no, no. Mai, wake up. Mai! _Mai!_"

* * *

**I'm really sorry it took so long!**

_**R&R!**_


	8. Hiding My Fears

**Chapter 7: Hiding My Fears**

"Your wife will be fine, Shibuya-san."

I almost cried in relief. Fear was all too familiar to me, but I had never felt as terrified as I did now. When Mai was submitted into the hospital, I was almost paralyzed by the fear of losing her. She didn't bleed and she wasn't dying, but seeing Mai unconscious almost broke my calm veneer. "What happened to her?"

"She probably collapsed due to dehydration and too much mobility. She's entering her fourth month, but she's also entering another delicate stage in her pregnancy. She's shouldn't be doing any hard work."

"I understand." I knew there were more problems. I never put Mai to work, I made the best effort preventing her from doing anything hazardous, and I knew Mai was perfectly healthy. Something else was afoot.

"She's been asking for you, so you're free to go in."

"Arigatou."

The doctor left casting off an air of apprehensive silence. I walked back to the other people who were waiting. Lin had Jun in his lap, and he was asleep for the majority of the time. Megumi sat next to them, a look of grief and resonance was evident on her face. She had never witnessed her mother in pain before. I knew it was a very petrifying experience for her.

As soon as she saw me, she ran up to me and hugged my lower half tautly. I went down to her level, pulling her into my arms and allowing her to sob into my chest. "Okaa-san is fine, Megumi," I consoled her. "Everything will be okay."

Her face emerged from her chest, revealing her tearful face. "Can I see her?"

"Not now. I need to talk to her first. You'll see her soon." I turned to Lin. "Look after her for me." He nodded and I reluctantly released my weepy daughter.

When I entered Mai's room, I was pleased to see that she was in no critical condition. However, seeing her crestfallen face was enough to upset me. Her eyes, which were full and alert, pain-struck and wide with terror, were looking down at her round belly, where her patched up hands laid securely. I walked toward her cautiously so I wouldn't provoke anymore undue distress. As soon as she noted my presence, she turned in my direction, and her eyes began to fill up with tears. "N-Naru…"

"Mai, how are you feeling?"

The tears fell, but she kept the sobs deep in her throat. I took a nearby chair and placed it by Mai's bed so I could sit next to her and comfort her.

"Naru," she said in a calmer tone. She clutched her stomach a bit tighter.

"Mai, stop it. The baby's fine."

"I know, but…" I waited anxiously for her to continue. "… I had a dream." I brushed a strand of hair out of her face before letting her carry on. "I was… I was your m-mother in the dream… I was her when… when she was still pregnant with you… and… G-Gene…" It took all of my strength to not grimace when she mentioned my late mother and Gene. "I was sitting in a rocking chair reading and humming to you two… then there w-was a chill… Mitsuki showed up…" Her voice cracked but she didn't seem to notice at all. "A-And then… I felt pain and then-"

"Don't." I pulled her to my chest, allowing her to cry. "Don't force yourself to tell me." She knew I would eventually try to get it out of her later when she was better. I didn't want her to hurt herself trying to help me now.

"I'm so scared, Naru!" she cried. "I don't want anything to happen to the baby or Megumi or anyone! I don't want to die!"

"Mai, don't worry."

"How can I not worry, Naru? That dream obviously meant something. I would lose the… the ba—"

"_Shhhh_." I didn't want to listen to her cries anymore. She was right. There was no use telling her not to worry when we were all in danger. I wasn't sure of what to say to her anymore. I had no more words that could comfort her besides the ones I continually reiterated. "I promise I'll protect you, and Megumi. Now," I wiped away her tears, "stop crying. I can't stand to see those tears."

She sniffed and wiped away her tears, finally putting a smile on her face. "Alright. Now, where's my baby girl? I hope this didn't scare her too bad."

"She's extremely eager to see you." Mai nearly laughed at the exaggeration- I wish I was exaggerating. I went to retrieve Megumi, who quickly ran into the room before I could even call her name.

"_Mommy!_" Her tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she hugged her mother for dear life.

"It's okay, Megumi," Mai cooed. "Mommy's okay."

"B-B-But *hiccup* I-I was so sc-scared!"

I watched as Mai continued to soothe her tears away. I already had my time with her, so I left mother and daughter to themselves. As soon as I stepped foot into the hall again, someone grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me to the wall. "What the hell happened, Naru?"

I would've winced if I wasn't so adapted to Madoka's unreasonable actions. But I was more curious as to why she was here and who told her. And if she was here, that meant my mother had come, also. I wanted to glare at Lin, but she had a firm grip on me that guaranteed she wouldn't release me until she extracted some answers from me.

"Madoka, please release me and I'll tell you what you I can." She glowered at me before she did so, and I was surprised at how much my shoulders ached as soon as I was free. I rubbed my shoulders and glanced at the older man still holding his sleeping son. "Why is she here, Lin?"

"She called, I answered. I wouldn't lie to her, and she was bound to find out, eventually."

True. Madoka always found out everything, somehow. She had unusual tactics, but I didn't feel too interested finding out what they were.

"Hey, stop talking as if I'm not here!"

We both brought our attention back to the angry woman. "Before I tell you anything," I began, "how much do you know?"

"As much as Lin has told me: Jun saw something and now Mai ended up in the hospital. I'm more concerned as to why you wouldn't tell anyone else about this. If you're in trouble you're supposed to ask for help, not leave us in the dark!"

"It's none of your concern."

"Of course it's my concern, Oliver!" I glared at her. No one was allowed to use my English name in public like that, and I was not too happy about it. But she wasn't fazed. "I know you and Mai are hiding something. You're hiding it from everyone. So," she crossed her arms and gave me a pointed stare, "we can do this the easy way or I could just squeeze the information out of you. Your choice."

"I'd prefer it if you didn't threaten me in the hospital. There are witnesses."

"Naru-!"

"Weren't you with my mother before?" She became perplexed at the sudden change of topic. "Where is she?"

"She went back to the hotel," she answered calmly. "Let me guess. You haven't told your parents, either."

"There are many things I haven't told my parents. And I intend to keep them hidden until the time is right."

"Well, did you at least tell Mai what Jun saw?"

I would have killed that woman if I wasn't so professional. "Why the hell would I do such a thing? Mai is in a delicate state right now- she doesn't need any more stress."

"Well, you can't keep hiding everything from everyone, Naru."

"I don't intend to. But now's not the time, Madoka, and I'd appreciate if you'd stay out of my business."

I gave her one last, firm glance before disappearing into Mai's room again.

* * *

Mai was released from the hospital the next day, and she became more wary of everything she did. I still hadn't told her about Jun's vision, and Madoka didn't bother me about it anymore. She didn't tell the others about the incident, either, so no one, not even my mother, bothered us about it.

And even though she was in her fourth month, Mai suddenly became as overprotective of the baby as I was.

Now, in her feeble state, Mai stayed at home, doing nothing and isolating herself in our bedroom, with the exception of our bathroom, which was conveniently placed inside our bedroom (I had to bring her meals to her). Megumi was almost the same. Almost, seeing as Jii-Jii made sure she wasn't as gloomy and downtrodden as her mother. I didn't have a clue of what to do at the moment except try to coax Mai out of her depression.

"Mai," I said. "Please stop this. What happened was an accident."

"I know. But you don't know what could happen if I left this room."

"Staying here isn't going to make you any safer."

She glared at me. "Way to make me feel more comfortable."

"I'm just being honest." She glared daggers at me. "Seriously, Mai, I know you're only in your fourth month, but staying in here is just going to make you sick. You need to stay active."

"I thought being pregnant meant you had to do little to no activity until this bundle of 15-pound joy splits me in half."

"Mai, you're not doing anything but lying around. That's not healthy, even if you are pregnant."

"Naru-"

"Think of Megumi." Her glared ceased and slowly turned into an impassive stare. "Megumi hasn't been the same ever since that day you were sent to the hospital. She doesn't think you're getting any better. Please, get out of this room for her."

I waited a moment for to respond when a sigh of defeat erupted from her lips. "Alright. But only for Megumi."

"That's all I'm asking."

I assisted her out of the bed and lead her to Megumi's room. We found her sitting on the floor slowly petting Jii-Jii with her back to us. She didn't move even as we entered the room. Mai cautiously knelt beside her. "Megumi, baby, are you okay?" I saw her head move in a way that indicated a nod. "Do you want to go to the park with me?" Instead of nodding again, Megumi hugged Mai, allowing me to see her melancholy face. She was close to tears, looking for the comfort of her mother.

I left them alone for a moment to make a call. This was the first call I made to Masako since I last saw her in the hospital, and we still had much to discuss. It wasn't helping that she kept avoiding every one of my calls.

As soon as I heard the click, my decorum was long forgotten. "Masako!"

"_Naru, what a surprise_."

"Masako, we need to do something about this now."

"_Oh, do you hold a little grudge against me because your little wife was sent to the hospital?_"

I hadn't told anyone about that, not even Masako. And the only way she could've known was…

"Mitsuki…"

"_Listen, before you go off and… you know, I'd like to explain myself. Come over tomorrow at 4:00. And bring no one._"

She hung up the phone before I could even register what had happened. Masako was entirely possessed now. I calmly hung up the phone as I pondered on this. I was having a hard time trying to control my temper. But I needed to stay calm otherwise Mai and Megumi would know something was wrong.

"Naru?" I turned to see Mai and Megumi. Mai was assisting her with her jacket. "Who was on the phone?"

"No one," I answered rather quickly. "No one important."

I held my breath as she eyed me suspiciously. I exhaled when a smile graced her face. "Okay. Megumi and I will be at the park."

"Are you sure you'll be alright?"

She rolled her eyes. "I think I can handle taking my four-year-old daughter to the park by myself. Besides," she came up to me so Megumi was out of earshot, "I don't think Mitsuki would cause a scene in public."

She was right. Mitsuki liked to torture her victims in private, which I knew from experience. "Be careful."

She gave me a light peck on the lip. "I will."

As soon as they were gone, I slumped on the couch and ran my hand through my hair. I couldn't keep hiding everything from the people I loved, but I had to keep reminding myself that even though it's torturous, I'm doing it for the sake of others, to protect them.

How foolish I was then.

* * *

**I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, **_**so**_** sorry I didn't update sooner! How long has it been? Two… three months? Doesn't matter because now I updated! I promise the next chapter will come sooner, and it will be better than this one!**

_**R&R!**_


	9. Strike One

**Ch 8: Strike One**

The next day, despite it being a working day, I did meet Mitsuki at the appropriate time she asked me to meet her. But first, I had to get past Lin. Mai and Megumi were one obstacle I was fortunately able to pass. Mai decided to stay home, still not risking anything because of the unfortunate incident that happened several days ago, and since she was staying at home, Megumi stayed with her.

I was at the office attending to my usual duties, wary of the time but my work was still thorough. I watched the clock almost every minute, which didn't help get through my work. It was a quarter to four when I decided to leave.

When she was working with us, Masako gave me her contact information so we could call upon her when there was a case. I hoped her address hadn't changed, but I knew she would've told me otherwise.

Opening my door ajar, I saw the Takigawas having a heated conversation about something or other. Lin had gotten out of his office to get more coffee, I presumed. I had to wait for him to leave before I was in the clear, and then I would only have Bonnie and Clyde to deal with. It wouldn't be hard getting past those two. Of course, if I did leave, they would tell Lin, and he would leave the office to look for me as well.

It was a terrible dilemma indeed.

I decided to risk it because I would have more success leaving and them telling Lin than leaving and having Lin follow me. I had more time that way and he wouldn't know where to find me.

I exited my office and I didn't look back. It wasn't hard to look inconspicuous because I was too good at hiding things from my friends.

I didn't like lying. I never lied to anyone when I lived in London with Gene and my parents, but when I discovered my brother's carcass was in Japan, I was hoping I wouldn't have to make a habit of it- I had a reason for lying about my true identity. Now that I was on my way to Masako's home, I felt like I was committing some terrible crime.

Masako's house was farther away than I thought. I was glad traffic was light; the less hindrances, the faster I could get this over with. When I rang the doorbell, Masako/Mitsuki answered the door with a malevolent smile.

"Welcome, _Naru-chan_." I almost grimaced at how she used my nickname. It sickened me. "Please come in."

She led me into a traditional Western style Japanese room. Two empty cups and a warm teapot were already there waiting for us on the low table. I knelt down across from her and waited as she poured each of us a cup of warm herbal tea. I fidgeted as I waited, despite my tea fetish- though I preferred Mai's tea over any other.

"I'd appreciate it if we started our conversation now, _Mitsuki_."

She ignored me as she handed me my cup. I took it and set it down, crossing my arms. "You are so your mother, _Naru-chan_."

"Just call me Kazuya," I corrected her quickly.

"Right. The name your traitorous mother bestowed upon you." She took a sip from her cup. She looked into her tea as she continued to talk. "You two are too similar; _it makes me sick_." A crack suddenly formed on the side of her delicate little cup. "I have a better idea. How about I call you by your real persona, _Oliver_."

I almost snarled at the mention of my English persona. "I'm not here to discuss myself, or my mother, for that matter."

She suddenly became elated. "Of course not. There's so much for us to discuss."

"I want to know how you materialized back into the living world. I destroyed you in Minemachi. You shouldn't be around, anymore."

"You _thought_ you destroyed me."

"What?"

She took another sip before elaborating. "When you foolishly used your powers to eradicate me, there was a small essence of my soul left- small enough to devour other lesser-ranked spirits lingering about. The more souls I devoured, the more powerful I became, and here I am."

"Out for revenge, no doubt."

"You know me so well, _Kazuya_." Her narrow eyes glanced down at my cup, which had been untouched ever since she gave it to me. "I didn't poison the tea, if that's what you're thinking. I need this body to fulfill my 'revenge.'"

"What is it that you want, Mitsuki? I know you didn't invite me here to waste my time. I have a business to run."

"Ah, yes. Shibuya Psychic Research. How is that?"

"_Enough!_" I slammed my fist on the table, nearly knocking over my cup. Mitsuki was not fazed. "Stop wasting my time and tell me what you wanted to tell me. Why am I here? What do you want? And why have you possessed Masako?"

She took another sip. "Straight to the point as usual, Kazuya. Just like your wretched _mother_." She slammed her cup on the table, this time chipping it. "I thought it would be nice to have this little moment before I get right to my _real plans_." The cup, now fully cracked, leaked of herbal tea, filling the whole room with a sweet aroma.

"If you're after Mai or Megumi, I'm warning you…"

"Oh, please, Kazuya. If I told you what I wanted, it wouldn't be nearly as fun."

My suspicions rose higher than they ever were before. "You're a sick monster. This isn't some kind of game for me. You just want me to guess? I'm automatically supposed to know what you want?"

She cackled. "You're supposed to be a renowned genius. I think you can figure it out for yourself, _Oliver_."

"What?" I growled.

"Tell you what. I'll give you three chances to figure out what it is I want. Only three. When you guess wrong, each punishment will be worse than the last. If you don't figure it out by the third strike, well… let's just say Mai will be in the hospital for more than just a couple of days."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" I asked. She was telling me her plans bit by bit. It was too suspicious.

"I think my first mistake was not telling you," she replied. "When Mai was pregnant with Megumi, all I wanted was to destroy you all at once, but it obviously wasn't that simple, was it? Besides, if you know now, it'll my pleasure watching you break down due to your anxiety. Now that you know part of my plan, I'm going to run you ragged, and this time, you won't be able to recover…"

* * *

Three chances.

I only had three chances to figure what exactly Mitsuki wanted from me. Although I was a renowned genius like she claimed I was, I still didn't have a clue. It was obvious- so painfully obvious- that she wanted revenge, and there was so many ways she could fulfill her plan. And she had a huge advantage over me:

Masako's body was in her possession, which meant she could use her reputation to make my life a living hell.

And if I didn't act soon, Masako's soul could be lost forever.

My first thought was my family. Mai and Megumi were extremely precious to me. If anything were to happen to them, I'd lose control myself. I needed to protect them, even if my first guess was incorrect. They meant the world to me, and I wasn't going to allow Mitsuki to harm them.

After I left Masako's house, I called Mai and suggested to have a nice family evening just the three of us. She didn't ask any questions and she didn't even seem mildly suspicious as to why I could suggest something like that, and she happily agreed with me. As soon as I returned home, I promised to do everything to make tonight enjoyable for all of us.

When I was about to leave, Lin confronted me in my office. "What is it?" I asked.

"Where'd you go for your lunch break?"

"Why does it matter?" I brushed past him and to the door. "Look, I have no time for this, Lin. I need to get home."

"You can't keep this up, Noll." I stopped with my hand on the doorknob. "I've known you for a long time; your actions are quite predictable. How long are going to keep lying about this predicament you're in? You keep hiding everything from everyone, including Mai, and you know how much she hates to be left in the dark."

"I know… but some things should remain confidential."

"Naru-"

"Please, Lin. Don't pry anymore. I know what I'm doing. Now, tonight my family and I are going to spend the evening together and forget every bad thing that has happened to us the past few weeks."

Fortunately, my assistant didn't push the issue any further and let me leave the office in peace. The Takigawas were already gone, and the evening was starting to seem better than the day had started.

Unfortunately, when I came home, I received a very unpleasant surprise from my mother.

"_Nolly!_" Luella tackled me once I entered the doorway. I saw Mai in the background giving me a weak smile. Megumi was the only one who seemed eager to see her grandmother with us.

"M-Mother, what are you doing here?"

"I decided to surprise you!" When she released me, I was finally able to breath. "Your father and I won't be able to stay in Japan for much longer, so I want to spend as much time with you, Mai, and my precious grandbaby! I also heard Mai was in the hospital," she whispered, "and I wanted to see how she was doing. Why didn't you tell me?"

I felt my eye twitch. I turned to Mai again and went over to her. "Will you excuse us, Mother?" Before she could answer, I took my wife into the hallway. "Mai, why did you let my mother into our home?"

"Because, Naru, it would've been rude of me to leave her outside," she answered. "Besides, she's family. And didn't you tell me over the phone earlier that you wanted to have family time?"

"But this isn't what I had in mind."

Mai sighed. "I know why you wanted to have this family night, Naru. You're trying to distract me from this Mitsuki business, and I appreciate. But can you at least _try_ to be civil with your mother?"

"She doesn't know a thing, though. And now she knows you were in the hospital. Who told her?"

"Who do you think?"

A pink-haired information broker suddenly popped into my mind. "_Madoka_…"

"She's a mother, Naru. You shouldn't be surprised that she's here to pay us a visit." She was right. I shouldn't have, and Mai of all people was more empathetic than I was. "I like her and so does Megumi, and I know she really loves us. And she cares. Her prying is what I like best about her. And I'm sure if you told her about our little… predicament, she'd try to help. That's more than what you can say about your father." I froze at the mention of my father. "But for tonight, can we just please get along as a family?"

"Fine," I complied.

She pecked my cheek lovingly. "I know how much this night meant to you for the three of us, so I'll make it up to you tomorrow."

"There's no need, Mai. The doctor said-"

"Forget what the doctor said. I know I'm not supposed to do any hard work, but I don't like seeing you disappointed. So how about tomorrow you, me, and Megumi cook up something together. We won't have to think about Mitsuki or anything she's planning, and it'll be just the three of us, okay?"

I couldn't contain myself when I kissed Mai. She was just so wonderful. She wanted me to be happy and safe just as much as I wanted her to be. And now, when we were in a desperate time of need, she was so selfless and munificent. God, I loved her so much. I planted kisses on her neck and collarbone and smiled against her chest as she giggled. "I love you so much. I don't know how I could possibly live without you."

"You couldn't," she said. She returned my kisses with a passionate one of her own. "And neither could I."

* * *

The night was actually more pleasant than I imagined. I cooked, even though my mother and Mai insisted on fixing everything themselves. Due to Mai's condition, I forced her and my mother wait in the living room with Megumi and her cat, instead.

After dinner, we spent the night as a family. Out of all of us, Megumi enjoyed the night the most. Family was important to her, we all knew. She was especially ecstatic tonight. Even though she didn't get to meet her grandfather, I was glad my mother's love could fill the void twice as much.

Megumi soon became tired, which was right around the time my mother should've started leaving. Although I did enjoy her company, I felt smothered every time she was around.

"I'll have Megumi get ready to bed," Mai announced. She took Megumi's hand and led her to her bedroom with Jii-Jii close behind, leaving my mother and I alone. I knew she did this on purpose because before she disappeared into the hallway, she stuck out her tongue playfully.

"Mai…"

"So Noll," my mother began. I knew she knew Mai also left for our sake- it always seemed like the girls were in some enigmatic coalition that conspired against men, or me, more specifically. "Has Megumi acquired any psychic abilities?"

"Mother, please."

"It's a simple question."

"But I do _not _want to talk about it."

"I'm only asking," she said, "because I want to be there for her. If she has anything like you have, maybe there's something I can do to help. And if this has anything to do with Mai's recent hospital visit…"

I should've known this was coming. My brother and I had many problems in the past due to our occult abilities. It was very difficult to find someone who could help us control our special skills. And then my parents met Lin, a 14-year-old intern who just so happened to be a very able _omniyoji_. He helped us with our powers, including our psycho-chemistry. Now that I had a 4-year-old daughter with PK, I was indebted to Lin and Madoka for all their help.

"There's nothing you need to be concerned about. Lin and I have everything under control. And Megumi would never do anything to hurt Mai."

Luella skeptical and almost a bit sad, but she left it alone. "If you say so. But Noll, as I've said before-"

"I know."

When Mai returned, my mother decided that was her time to leave and also a time to defy me.

"Mai dear."

"Hai, Luella-san?"

"I told you before, call me Mom! And anyway, Noll has told me that Megumi is psychic."

"Mother!"

She gave me a strange look. "What? It's just a simple question." She couldn't do this to me. We were supposed to forget about this. We were supposed to forget about ghosts, the paranormal and everything else that would remind us of Mitsuki, but my mother was a stubborn mule.

I looked at Mai. She appeared too uneasy to answer and I didn't want her to become upset, but knowing who my wife was, she wouldn't simply disregard someone's question if it only made her slightly uncomfortable.

"W-Well," Mai stuttered, "she has shown a few signs that she does have psychic abilities, but we try not to encourage her to use them."

"Well, if you need any help-"

"Mother, we've already discussed this."

"Wait, you two already talked about it?" Mai asked.

"Yes, but the subject was supposed to be dropped."

"We can't just drop the subject, Noll."

"We can if I say we should."

"Now listen here, young man-!"

A terribly shrill shriek echoed through hallway. We all glanced at each other before running to Megumi's room. When I opened the door, there was motley of toys and books floating about. Among them was a _henge_ with a scythe in its hands, the same one I encountered at Yamamoto Studios. Megumi, now fully dressed in her pajamas, huddled herself in the corner and covered her head with her hands. The black cat was poised in front of her hissing at the menacing spirit.

"_Go away!_" my little girl cried. "_Go away! Go away! Go away!_"

"Megumi!" Mai took one step forward and I blocked her way. "Naru, what are you doing? Megumi's in danger!"

"No, she's not." I knew there was no possible way that she would get hurt. The only thing she was doing was creating a poltergeist which had most of the objects in the room float in midair; the only possible way she could get hurt was mentally. Because of the _henge_, Megumi was too scared and anxious to control what she was doing.

When I glanced at the ghost again, I saw that its red eyes weren't concentrating on her but on something else. The spirit raised its scythe hostilely, but I knew it wouldn't make a move. But I needed to do something quick before the henge decided to cause her real harm. Before I could do anything, however, Mai shoved her way into the room.

"Mai, no!"

She ignored my exclamation and performed the nine cuts. I knew performing this act wouldn't affect Mai or the baby, but I couldn't help but worry. When she was done, the ghost became to disband slowly. The last we saw of it was its eyes, which glowed ominously before finally disappearing.

The flickered back on and the objects that were floating fell simultaneously. Mai ran to the other side of the room to aid our daughter. "Megumi, are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"

Megumi gave little responses, which was a somewhat good sign that she was not harmed by the spirit. Mai sighed shakily before hugging her and burying her in kisses.

"Oh my…" I glanced at my mother, who merely stared into the space. "Oh dear…" She was clearly shocked. My mother had seen plenty of displays of my PK, but seeing it happen to someone at such a young age was incredible.

"Naru!" Mai cried. "Naru, Megumi's pale!"

I quickly ran to other side of the room and knelt beside them when I saw Megumi. Her face was quickly losing its color and her eyes slowly drooped as if she was slipping in and out of consciousness. When I felt her forehead, I quickly retracted my hand. She was burning up. "I'll call an ambulance," I said. "Make sure she doesn't fall asleep."

I ran into the nearest phone which immediately began to ring. A familiar voice began to speak when I picked up.

"_Nice try, Kazuya, but that's strike one._"

"Mitsuki, this is going too far…!"

"_Too far? But this game's only just begun. I thought you would've learned from the last time, but I'm not after Mai _or_ Megumi this time. If I was, don't you think I would've gotten to them by now. Now thanks to you, you're little girl is going to be spending the next few days in the hospital!_"

I slammed the phone down. This was too much for me. My first guess was wrong, and she decides to penalize me by tantalizing my daughter. I didn't know how much longer I could control my vexation. All I knew was that after all of this was over, I was going to make sure Mitsuki would suffer and never return to the living world again.

* * *

**It took me a while, but I finally did it! I finally updated! There's been a lot on my mind and I needed to clear it. But don't worry. I promise the next update will come sooner.**

_**R&R!**_


	10. Strike Two

**Ch. 9: Strike Two**

It felt like déjà vu being in the hospital again, but I never expected my little girl to be here. She looked so vulnerable connected to those wires and the oxygen mask she had to wear. But using her PK at such a young age had huge consequences, and this was one of them.

Mai was a wreck. She never left Megumi's side, and for her own sake, the doctor never forced her to leave the room to avoid any confrontation from my pregnant wife. I would've stayed, too, but my mother insisted on having me call everyone and telling them about the little mishap that happened in our home. And when she said everyone, she meant _everyone_.

"Absolutely not."

"Noll, you need to stop hiding everything from your friends and family and confront this."

"But this is none of their concern," I underlined. "It was never any of _your_ concern, either."

"Now it is. And as your mother, I say you _will_ call everyone, or I will be the adult and do it for you."

I sighed and took a seat across the hall. I was too upset to deal with this nonsense. Megumi was in the hospital, and the last thing I needed right now was more unnecessary company.

I propped my elbows on my knees and I covered my hands with my face. I felt a hand rub my shoulder gently. "I know you're upset with me," I heard my mother say, "and I know this is a very bad time for your family, but I'm just thinking of what's best for you. You're my son, and as your mother, I can't help but worry about you. And I'm worried about Mai and Megumi as well. You need someone, or some people, to help you carry that weight on your shoulders. If it makes you feel better, I'll just call your father."

"It doesn't."

My mother left me after that. When the doctor finally came out, I inundated him with many questions.

"Calm down, Mr. Shibuya. Your daughter's fine and awake. But she doesn't need to be overwhelmed right now. She was quite delusional when she woke up. She spoke about a scary ghost with a curved sword."

"I think I can handle it from here. Arigatou, doctor."

People like him wouldn't understand.

When I entered the room, I almost seethed at the sight of my daughter's condition. Some of the wires I saw attached to her earlier were removed, but she still had the IV in her arm and the oxygen mask on her face, and her complexion was still quite pale. I could hear Mai humming to her softly while she ran her hand through Megumi's black hair. My little girl's eyes were still lethargic, but then they slightly lit up when she saw me enter the room.

"Daddy…" she murmured. Mai looked up and smiled sadly. Her eyes were red from lamentation and fatigue.

"Megumi, how do you feel?" I asked softly.

"Sleepy."

I chuckled. I took her hand and squeezed it tenderly. "Maybe you should rest some more."

"But the ghost…"

"The ghost isn't going to bother you anymore. Okaa-san got rid of it for you and it's not coming back."

"What about Jii-Jii?"

"Don't worry about him. He's safe, too." I brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead. "Now get some rest. The sooner you rest, the sooner you can leave and go home to Jii-Jii."

"Okay…" From her steady breathing, I knew she wasn't fully asleep yet.

"Mai, you should rest, too."

She shook her head. "I'll be…" She was interrupted by a yawn that slipped through her lips. "… fine."

"Mai…"

She sighed, overcome by her weariness. "Alright. But I don't think she should be here alone."

"Me neither." My mother could stay, but then there was my father I had to deal with. I doubted he would do anything to hurt Megumi, though. "My mother can stay until tomorrow when we come back."

Mai yawned again before nodding. "Alright. I'm going to stay with her until she falls asleep."

I nodded to her in affirmation. "I'll be waiting outside." I kissed her forehead, and then Megumi's, before leaving the room.

Outside, I was confronted not only by my father, but also by the rest of SPR, excluding John.

"Naru, what's going on?" Madoka asked. "I got a call from your mother saying that Megumi was in the hospital. You want to explain that?"

"Yeah, how come you and Mai didn't tell us that Megumi was in the hospital?" Takigawa said. "As her godparents, I think we deserve to know something like that." His wife nodded in agreement. Choosing Megumi's godparents was still debatable, though.

My parents and Lin were the only ones who had nothing to say. I didn't expect my mother to explain since she was the one who called Madoka in the first place. Guilt was evident on her face as if she didn't realize calling Madoka meant she would start a chain of phone calls. My father looked almost disappointed that he wasn't informed, also. I didn't know what he anticipated from me. After the little spat we had, did he really expect me to inform him on anything that had to do with _my_ family?

"Naru," Lin suddenly said. "I think now would be the time to tell everyone the truth."

"Yes, Noll," my father finally decided to speak up. "I think now would be the perfect time to tell everyone _everything_."

"Noll?" the Takigawas echoed.

"Well?" Madoka said.

I shook my head. "You can't put this on my. Not right now. As you're already aware of, Megumi is in the hospital. I'm not in the mood to be interrogated and accused. I have a pregnant wife and an incapacitated daughter to attend to."

"Well, when is it the appropriate time to talk? You can't keep avoiding this."

I sighed. They just couldn't leave it alone. A migraine was beginning to form because of all of this petulance. "Tomorrow," I said. "Everyone, come by the office tomorrow, and I'll explain all you need to know."

"Naru? Who are you talking to?" Mai suddenly entered the scene. Her face suddenly became filled with astonishment when she saw everyone. "What—what's everyone doing here, Naru?"

"My mother called Madoka." I didn't need to elaborate in order for her to decipher the rest. "Come on, I'll take you home." I helped put on her coat before addressing my mother, "I need to take Mai home, but we don't want Megumi to be left alone."

"I understand," she said. "I'll stay with her."

"Then I'll see you all tomorrow."

I thought it would be a mute point, but I clearly underestimated my wife's persistence. Mai wouldn't stop asking me questions after we left the hospital. I told her I wouldn't answer any of them until we were at home, but she wouldn't suffice.

"Why was everyone at the hospital, including your father?"

"Mai, please," I said. "This has been an exhausting day for everyone. It's nearly midnight. I'd like to get home and have a warm cup of tea before I have any interrogations."

"Fine," she pouted.

Once we arrived home, Mai insisted on making the tea to get the questions out of me right away. I immediately made her wait in the living, much to her chagrin. I didn't care how much she pleaded and griped- I would absolutely not allow my pregnant wife do anymore work no matter how trifling it was.

With the tea prepared and my recliner recumbent, I took a sip of tea before telling Mai about how I was suddenly harassed by our group of friends and my parents.

"Naru," Mai began, "you shouldn't have to be forced to confess something like that. I know how much it upsets you. And you already have so much on your plate…"

"If I don't say anything, they'll just continue to pester me about it, and I already told them I would. Besides," I took another sip, "I think it's about time I tell everyone the truth."

"But, Mitsuki…"

"Mitsuki wouldn't do anything to any of our friends. She's not interested in them."

Mai looked at me with interest. "How would you know? Mitsuki would do anything to get us to break, whether it's hurting our friends or…" She stopped and looked at her swollen belly. "I just don't want this to backfire."

"Mai, don't worry."

"I can't!" She stood from her seat on the couch, dropping her cup of tea. "Everyone keeps telling me to calm down! 'Don't worry, Mai.' 'It'll put stress on the baby, Mai.' 'Blah, blah, blah, Mai!' I'm tired of everyone telling me what to do!" Her outburst put me in disarray. When she saw the expression on my face, she burst into tears. "I'm so sorry!" she cried. "I'm sorry, Naru! I can't help it! Mitsuki shows up and now our little girl's in the hospital…! I j-just want t-to be useful…"

I hugged her. I didn't know what else to do at the moment. Mai was probably right. Our situation was no one else's concern. Of course, there was our safety to consider- Mai's and Megumi's. I could protect myself, but they were completely vulnerable. Mai had already been in the hospital, and now Megumi was there, too. If I didn't guess correctly next time, who knew what kind of consequences there would be? Mitsuki could hurt our loved ones, but if they knew beforehand, they could help us, find some way to eradicate her forever, something I had failed to do.

Madoka and my mother wouldn't stop reminding me that they would always help us in need. My pride said to listen to Mai and keep everything clandestine, but my conscience said to do the right thing. How come the right thing always seemed wrong?

"I think I need to tell them."

Mai broke out of our embrace. "What? Are… Are you sure?"

"This may not be the most comfortable scenario, but they need to know before it's too late. They need to know _everything_."

"_Everything?_"

"The Takigawas will obviously question the presence of my parents, and no doubt my father will tell them who I am before I can tell them myself." I sighed. "I need to prepare for tomorrow."

"You won't be alone." Mai wiped the tears away and smiled at me confidently. "I'll be there with you."

"No. You're going to the hospital to look after Megumi. My mother will want to be present when I tell everyone." And no doubt Madoka would be there to rub it in my face.

"Are you sure? You know I will always be by your side when you need me…"

_If I had a penny for every time I heard that…_

"I'm sure." I kissed her forehead. "Now go to bed. You've had a long night."

"So have you. And if anyone needs a good night's rest, it's you, Naru."

We both went to bed together, but I was the only one who couldn't sleep. There was so much on my mind, sleep was impossible. I was glad Mai at least got a decent night's rest.

* * *

Without the necessary amount of sleep, I was not prepared to face my SPR team and my parents all at once. However, I knew it was something I needed to do, one less burden to be lifted off my shoulders. I almost regretted not having Mai by my side. I couldn't do this alone, and I scolded myself for realizing it now. But Mai needed to be at the hospital with Megumi. I only hoped that Lin would be my buttress, like he usually was.

When I arrived at SPR, I saw the expected group of people: the Takigawas, my parents, Lin, Madoka (who left Jun with Mai), and John, who was just informed about this meeting this morning. I sent an email to Yasuhara as well, but he was too busy at the University of Tokyo to come.

Yasuhara appeared at cases on rare occasions, just as Madoka did. He even started taking a part-time internship with her, but his active schedule shortened his appearances. I assured him he'd be informed later when he had the time.

Lin, noticing my lethargic state, helped me prepare. "Naru, what'd you do to yourself?" he asked as he took my coat.

"I had a difficult time sleeping last night, that's all."

"Are you sure you can do this?"

"A cup of tea will wake me up."

"You know that's not what I meant." I ignored him as I went to the kitchen to prepare my tea. He grabbed the kettle before I could reach it, which made me irritated. "I'll take care of this."

I scowled at him, but he also ignored. I decided not to wait for him and went into the lobby. Everyone watched as I entered, waiting for the explanation that I promised to impart. I sat at my usual black lounger with my black binder. I took this brief time to look over the contents of the binder. I've never shown anyone what was inside this binder, but now that was here, confessing my most surreptitious secrets, I felt that I needed the extra support. But it wasn't the same without Mai since all of this was in the past.

I closed the binder and took a deep breath. "You've all come here to find out the truth. I confess that I haven't been quite honest with you. Mai and I have been hiding something from you all for years. It's only come to our attention now because we thought we rid of the problem years ago.

"But before I tell you, I must start from the beginning." I looked at my parents. They were like strangers here. I needed to explain why I invited them so everyone was on the same page. I stood and gestured to them. "First, I'd like to introduce my parents, Martin and Luella Davis."

"Davis?" the monk said. The name was very common, but there was only one Davis that was renowned among the paranormal society. "As in…"

"They're my adopted parents. You've known me as Shibuya Kazuya, but my English pseudonym is Oliver Davis."

Everyone's reactions were as I expected: completely astonished, mouths opened wide like gapping fish. My mother and father were also surprised, but not very. They obviously didn't know I didn't tell my employees my real identity after all these years. Madoka and Lin were the only ones who weren't fazed by this news.

"You mean you're _the_ Oliver Davis who lifted that block of aluminum and threw it against the wall using PK?" the monk asked. "_The_ Oliver Davis who found that billionaire's son using clairvoyance? My hero, Oliver Davis?" I wasn't very startled that he was upset the most. He admired Oliver Davis, but knowing that I was him the whole time hiding under his nose, I must've disappointed him.

"I'm afraid so. However, I am no longer that man. I am still Shibuya Kazuya, CEO of SPR. I am also the son of Shibuya Aoi, priestess of the Shibuya clan."

"What?" My mother looked at me with utter perplexity, as if I said something foreign. "When did you find this out?"

"Five years ago in Minemachi."

"Wait, was that around the time when you and Mai were stuck in an astral plane?" Houshou asked.

I nodded again. "My late mother, Aoi, sent us there to help me find my long lost twin brother, Eugene's, body. He died in an unfortunate car accident, and his body was dumped into a river near the inn we stayed at. That was the only reason why I came to Tokyo and why I asked for you, Madoka, and Lin's assistance in Minemachi."

This was much to take in, even for my parents. I had never seen my father so infuriated in my life; he had a better reaction when I introduced him to my pregnant wife. In fact, I'd never seen the monk this irate, either. His wife was also looked mad, and she refused to look at me. John was speechless. My mother was ready to cry when I mentioned Gene. But how they felt about me wasn't important. Madoka gave me an encouraging look to continue, and so I did.

"Now that everyone's up-to-date, I can tell you the predicament that I am facing.

"Five years ago, a parasitic spirit went after Mai when she was pregnant with Megumi. It was power-hungry, and with child, Mai was completely pungent and vulnerable. It turns out that spirit was my malevolent, deceased aunt, Shibuya Mitsuki. Because of her revengeful feelings, she was sinewy, almost unstoppable. However I was finally able to rid of the spirit in Minemachi using my PK abilities." A sob from my mother almost made me stop, but I had to continue.

"However, Mai and I had recently discovered that an essence of Mitsuki had survived and has been thriving in another vengeful being to retain power again."

"And how long were you going to wait to tell us this?" Takigawa finally interrupted.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell you. I could've handled this on my own."

"You were just going to keep all this information from us and continue to think that you can handle all of this on your own?" the miko said. "Megumi's in the hospital because of this monster, Naru! Do you not trust us enough to tell us the truth? Do you not trust that we can help you?"

"No. I just simply didn't want any of you to get involved."

"I don't like it my friends lie to me when they're in danger." Houshou walked up to me and practically growled. "I don't give a damn about what you do, Naru, but if it has to do with Mai's safety, I swore, I won't hesitate to kill you where you stand if anything happens to her." He walked back over to his seat and took his coat. "I'm out of here." His wife followed him in tow, slamming the door on her way out.

After that, John decided he wanted to leave, too. "I'm willing to help you and Mai, Naru, as your friend."

When he left, Madoka sighed. "See? Was that so hard?"

I glared at her. "Don't act as if you're fine with this."

"I don't understand," my mother spoke up. "All this time… you knew who your real mother was this whole time? You were able to meet her, and you didn't even bother to tell us?"

"Would you really feel comfortable if I told you I found my real mother, that I was able to meet her apparition, and she was reason we were trapped in Minemachi in the first place?" I received my answer when she put her head down. Then I looked at my father. He no longer looked mad. He actually looked… I wasn't sure. I didn't know how to describe the expression on my father's face, but no doubt he was just as disappointed and a bit stupefied by the information I just laid out.

"SPR's closed for the day. If everyone's done chastising me, then you may leave."

And didn't wait for anyone else to move as I went back to the door, took my coat from Lin, and left.

* * *

It was a week or so when Megumi was finally released from the hospital. I was able to convince the doctor that she would recover faster if we took her home. It was also a week or so after I had that meeting at SPR.

I should've been relieved to finally let everything out in the open, but I still couldn't help feeling… terrible. The feeling in my chest felt worse. I usually didn't give in to pressure, but Madoka was working on my last nerve. She was my mentor, but whenever I took her suggestions, it always led me to trouble. That was the last time I listened to her.

Because of her suggestion, everyone was infuriated with me. They trusted me, and I lied to them with a straight face. I would be surprised if they didn't lose total respect of me. Maybe that was what Mitsuki wanted- everyone's trust and respect for me to disappear.

SPR had been closed for awhile. Even though the only reason I told them about Mitsuki was so they could help us, the others hadn't made contact with me, not even Mai, to offer their assistance, and no one was coming to the office. I was somewhat glad they didn't, but I could no longer lie to myself: I needed their help.

Mai thought I did the right thing, and she said it was fine if they didn't want to help us. She trusted me with her life. But as I watched Megumi in her sluggish state from the doorframe, I couldn't help but disagree with her.

Megumi looked better than she did several days ago. The color returned to her skin, but she was still a bit slow and lethargic. I kept my eye on her while I was at home. Mai kept hers on me.

"Naru, everything will be okay," she told me. "I doubt Mitsuki will come after Megumi again." I didn't listen. I still hadn't told Mai everything, which made the terrible feeling in my chest tighten. I was still lying to everyone; I was such a terrible person.

"I just want to stay in here with for awhile."

Mai gave me an unsure look, but she left it alone. "Alright. I'll be shopping with Madoka and Ayako. Maybe I can convince her and Bou-san to help us. Call me if you need anything."

"Don't worry about us, Mai. Don't do anything strenuous."

She rolled her eyes. "You should talk." She kissed my cheek before she went over to Megumi and kissed her forehead. "Get better, Megumi," she whispered.

As soon as she left, Megumi woke up. "Daddy."

I went over and sat next to her on the bed. "Do you feel better, Megumi?"

"Kinda. Where's Okaa-san?"

"She went shopping with Madoka and Ayako. She'll be back soon. Are you hungry?"

She shook her head. "Stay here with me, please."

I smiled. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you, hime. You won't get better if you don't eat anything, though."

She shook her head again. "I'm okay."

A moment of silence came over us. It felt nice just sitting here with my daughter, my arm around her, protecting her from any other unnatural forces. I was hoping once she was older, she'd be able to help us on cases. But after seeing such a display of PK power coming from her, I changed my mind. I didn't want her involved with anymore ghosts.

"It'll be okay, Daddy." I was a little startled by what Megumi said. It was like she was aware of what was going on. "Okaa-san and Jii-Jii said so." At the mention of his name, the black cat sat up from his spot on the windowsill and came over to join us.

Even though she was unaware of the situation, I was glad she was as optimistic as her mother. I kissed her forehead. "Arigatou, Megumi. It makes me feel better that you said that." I got up from the bed, much to her chagrin. "Jii-Jii will keep you comfortable while I get you something to eat."

As I went to the kitchen, I pondered on what Megumi had said to me. She was the most innocent out of all of us, yet she believed after everything that happened to our family these past few months, everything was going to get better. It almost made me feel angry with myself for being such a coward around my daughter. I needed to be strong like her. I needed to stay confident.

It didn't matter that I lost everyone's respect anymore. That was obviously what Mitsuki wanted. But it didn't matter, as long as my family stayed by my side.

Suddenly, as I was preparing Megumi's lunch, the kitchen phone rang. When I answered it, Madoka's distraught tone ran in my ears.

"_Naru! Naru, are you there?_"

"What is it, Madoka?"

"_It's Mai! She's… There's been a terrible accident! There's blood everywhere…!_"

I dropped the phone and forgot Megumi's lunch. Mitsuki got to her. That damn witch finally got to her! I realized then I just wasted another guess; that was my second strike.

* * *

**I just want to let everyone know that I'm going to be updating as many chapters in different stories as I can because NANOWRIMO's coming up very soon. I know it was terrible timing to be starting another story all of sudden, but I wanted to publish it before the year ended. See y'all in a month!**

_**R&R!**_


	11. Reflections

**Okay, so NANOWRIMO has passed (needless to say, I didn't win this year) and so has the year! HAPPY NEW YEAR! I was going to publish this story after Christmas, but it didn't feel right. Sorry it took so long, though.**

**R&R!**

* * *

**Ch. 10: Reflections**

It was hard being cautious and hasty at the same time. I had to take Megumi to the hospital with me, so now I had a four-year-old little girl slumbering in the backseat of my car while I was speeding down the road to the hospital. It was fortunate the roads were clear and no police were around to stop me, so there weren't any impediments in my way.

As soon as I was at the hospital, I immediately ran to the front desk with Megumi still sleeping peacefully in my arms. "I'm here for Shibuya Mai, my wife."

"She just came in awhile ago. She's in the ICU right now." The nurse grabbed a clipboard and had another nurse take her station while she led me to my wife.

When we were there, I found Lin, Madoka, and Jun sitting outside the ICU. The little boy sat in a chair next to his mother, wondering why she was crying so much. Lin had a comforting hand on her back. When I came into the scene, everybody looked at me. Seeing me seemed to provoke Madoka's despondency because she suddenly began crying hysterically.

"I'm so sorry, Naru!" she cried. "I should've watched her more carefully! I-I'm just… so sorry!" Lin held her, and Jun looked petrified to see his mother in such hysterics.

Megumi suddenly began to stir in my arms. Madoka's crying was waking her up.

"Daddy…"

"Shhh… go back to sleep."

It was too late. Megumi lifted her head from my chest and saw Madoka. "Why is Madoka-baa-san crying?"

"Don't worry about it, Megumi. Everything's okay. Just, please, go back to sleep." Lying to my daughter hurt me deeply. But I was protecting her in a way. She had been through enough these past few days. If she were to know that her mother was in this misfortunate place because of the same ghost that attacked her… I didn't want to see the aftermath.

After a few moments, a doctor came out of the room. Madoka reached him before I could. "How is she, doctor? Is she okay? Is the baby okay?"

"Please calm down, miss." Lin took her shoulders and had her step back. "Now, who is Shibuya-san's emergency contact?"

"That would be me," I claimed. "I am Shibuya Kazuya, her husband."

"I'd like to have a brief word with you, Shibuya-san." I handed Megumi over to Lin so I could converse with the doctor privately. He led me around the corner where we were out of earshot. "From her medical record, I understand from your wife's prior pregnancy that she was hospitalized because she nearly miscarried, and your daughter was born prematurely." I nodded reluctantly. "And she was also hospitalized one month ago."

"Her hands were cut by glass and she fainted," I clarified.

"I see. But from her medical history, your wife hasn't been in the best health."

"She was completely fine afterwards."

"I understand." I could see I wasn't making his job easier, but I couldn't stand hearing about Mai's poor health conditions in the past. It was unbearable to think let alone talk about. But as Madoka described on the phone, Mai was in a critical condition, so the doctor wasn't going to give me any good news, anyway. What really aggravated me was his stalling.

"What is my wife's condition?" I finally asked. "How are she and the baby?"

"Your wife is fine, but…" I knew it: something was wrong with our unborn child.

"What happened?" I inquired.

The doctor hesitated a moment. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "You see… your wife lost one of the children."

For that one moment, time stopped. Everything was out of balance—or perhaps that was me getting lost in a stupor. Mai was pregnant with _twins_—as in _two_ babies instead of the one we anticipated—and she lost one of them. We wanted the fate of our child to be a surprise gender wise, but finding out that there were two unborn children inside my wife susceptible to Mitsuki's curse, it just… how could I've been so careless and uninformed?

"Shibuya-san, are you alright?"

"… No, I don't believe so."

"Gomen, but were you and your wife not informed that you were expecting twins?"

"No, we weren't."

"I see... Again, I apologize."

Seeing my reaction, I knew he hadn't told Mai yet. She would be devastated once she found out. I didn't have the heart to tell her, but hiding it from her would make me feel worse than I already felt. I was fit to tell her, as her husband.

"How is she?" I asked.

"She's stable and currently resting. The other baby is also fine."

"May I see her?"

"I wouldn't advise it, but… she may want you by her side once she wakes up."

I nodded at him. "Arigatou."

When he was gone, I let my guard down. I crouched on the floor, resting my elbows on my knees, taking in the news just relayed to me.

Mai miscarried. It hit me like a rock. Mai miscarried _one_ of our children. Why did Mitsuki see it fit to stoop this low and torture me? Hitting me was one thing, but completely rescinding something Mai and I worked so hard to try and put into this world… she truly was a monster, destroying a life that was never given a chance.

I recovered myself before walking back to the others. When Madoka saw me, she immediately jumped out of her seat and interrogated me with a throng of incoherent questions. "How is Mai?" was the only thing I could understand.

I hesitated to answer and I knew I couldn't. She wouldn't be able to take the news. Lin sat with Megumi still sleeping in his lap and Jun still the confused, oblivious little child he was. His terrible vision came true and he wasn't even aware; I envied his ignorance at that moment.

"Gomen, Madoka. I don't need this right now. I'm going to see Mai for myself."

I escaped into her room away from the plaintive older woman. Now I was concentrated on the pale woman inclined in the hospital bed.

I wouldn't say this was the worst I'd seen of Mai because I've seen much worse, but seeing her sallow, wearied shape with her hand subconsciously protecting our child was enough to make me collapse into the unoccupied chair sitting against the wall. I wept, silently. I didn't want to disturb Mai, but it was difficult keeping the sobs in, especially since I knew a terrible, terrible secret that she didn't. I was back to square one. How could I look my feeble wife in the face and tell her one of our unborn children was gone forever?

I was finally able to get my act together so I could move my chair next to Mai. I held her hand tightly and prayed. I wasn't a very religious person—being a ghost hunter and having a mind based on logic and science were attributed to this—but I needed assurance from someone who was reliable, someone who made everyone feel comforted whether they believed in Him or not.

It felt as if a decade had passed until Mai finally stirred. Her weary eyes looked wearier when they opened up, making a difficult effort to stay open. When she saw me, her eyes immediately began to tear up. "Naru…" Her voice was hoarse, feeble, like her physical state. The tears returned.

"Mai, how do you feel?"

She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath. "Better," she replied softly. The hand I was holding squeezed mine for a second. The other roamed her bulging stomach. A sigh of relief breathed out. "The baby's fine."

I winced. She had no idea how wrong she was. "Mai, there's something I need to tell," I began slowly.

She must've hinted something in my distraught tone when she tried to sit up. "It's the baby, isn't it?" she asked immediately.

"Mai, calm down. Please." I made her lie back down. Forcing herself to sit up caused her extreme pain. We didn't need her to put more stress on herself after what just happened. "What I'm about to tell you is very… I don't know how to say this, so please, just bear with me." It took so much effort for me not to cry again. I could feel unshed tears threatening to spill. It was so hard staying strong in front of Mai in this situation—_especially_ in this situation.

"Naru?" A felt a delicate hand brush my cheek, a familiar, wet sensation telling me that I was in fact crying once again. "Naru, what's wrong? What happened?"

I took a deep breath. "Mai… about the baby… We were going… to have twins."

I waited to see her reaction. At first, her face was filled with many questions, as if she didn't believe what I was saying at first, a simple reaction of surprise when mothers heard news like this. Her eyes smiled a bit. "Twins?" she repeated. "We…"

"Were, Mai," I reiterated.

"'Were'? What do you mean?" Fear appeared her in weary eyes.

I shook my head sadly. She wasn't making this easier for me. When I saw her face, I looked down. I was too ashamed. I had to tell her now or later, and later wasn't acceptable. "Mai, you miscarried one of the twins."

Her reaction was subtle. She turned her head away from me, and I was afraid of what she'd do next. She had endeared enough and the strain of finding out she lost one of her child was devastating. Now that she knew, I almost felt guilty for telling her.

_She needed to know, Noll. She needed to know._

Her hand trembled as well as the rest of her body. The hand on her belly left to cover her mouth. I knew what she was trying to do. She was holding in her sorrows, hiding it from me. I couldn't allow Mai to do that. That was just as unhealthy. I wanted us to share our sorrows together.

"Naru," she said. "I can't…"

I joined her on the bed and shushed her. I had her lay her head in my chest as I held her close. "Go ahead, Mai. Let it out. It's okay. I will always be here for you, and I will never leave you." This opened up her opportunity to wail out. She let everything out, and it wasn't long until I was crying with her.

* * *

I stayed overnight, so I had Lin take Megumi home with him when he, Madoka, and Jun left. Madoka insisted on visiting Mai, but Mai didn't want anybody to see her in her condition. She was afraid she would break down again, and the doctor said not to induce anymore pressure in her delicate state. Mai slept the majority of the time, and while she did, I did some brainstorming.

I had one more chance to guess what Mitsuki really wanted. She didn't want my family, she didn't want my dignity—what the hell did she want?

The next morning, I decided to go back home. Mai didn't try to stop me. She knew I had a responsibility to Megumi while she was in the hospital, not to mention she was extremely somnolent from last night. And she wouldn't say it, but she knew Mitsuki was still an issue that needed to be dealt with immediately.

After I picked up Megumi, I went straight home to devise a plan. I wasn't going to take anymore chances guessing what Mitsuki wanted from me. She was dangerous, she made that perfectly clear. Because of her, Mai was in the hospital, Megumi was still recovering from her last act, and if I didn't act on my own quickly, then something could happen to Masako while she was still possessed her. She could also hurt the others, but I had a feeling that she wasn't interested in them.

As soon as I put Megumi to bed, I sat in the kitchen wondering what I could do. What could I possibly do? No one seemed to trust me anymore, Madoka and my parents were out of the picture; I'd never felt so frustrated, confused, and useless in my life.

"Daddy." I recognized my little girl's voice.

She stood behind my chair, her eyes filled with wonder and fear. "Megumi, what are you doing up so late?"

"I can't sleep. I'm worried about Okaa-san and ototo." I frowned. I forgot Megumi had no clue about the twins, either. She wasn't aware that she was going to have younger twin brothers. There was no point telling her now, I knew, since Mai was only carrying one twin now.

I lifted Megumi unto my lap. "Don't worry. Okaa-san will be out of the hospital once she's recovered."

"What about the ghost?"

I sighed. I knew there was no use hiding the situation from her with her paranormal sensitivity. "Megumi, you shouldn't be worried about this. I will protect you."

"No!" Suddenly, Megumi wrapped her arms around my neck. "It went after me, then Okaa-san… what if… what if it goes after you?" Megumi began crying, her tears staining my shirt. "I don't want you to die, Daddy! I'm scared!"

I didn't know what to do at the moment but hold Megumi as she continued to lament her feelings. Despite how brave she had acted, I knew Megumi was still a little girl, and she was almost as afraid as I was. She had no idea what was going on yet at the time same, she was completely aware. Megumi always had a knack for being sensitive to everything, not just the paranormal, which scared me. She was still a little girl; she didn't need to worry about this. All I could do to console her was to hold her and tell her everything was going to be alright when that was not for certain.

It wasn't long until she finally fell asleep again. I took her to bed before retiring in the living room. With no other options, I just sat there, my hand over my face with in fatigue and frustration.

There was always one solution I went to when I couldn't figure anything out on my own: Gene. Being the elder of the two of us, he knew how to solve anything that I couldn't, which was rare. When I lost him, using my own solutions, solving my own problems seemed harder, more wearisome—but not impossible. The strain of losing my only blood devastated me. Then I found Mai. Through thick and thin, she was able to help as much as she could. I didn't know why everything seemed easier after that until I found out who her spiritual guide was.

Now, with Gene gone forever and Mai in the hospital, I was on my own.

_I'll always be there for you, Noll._

Gene was the first person to tell me that. Who knew after he died he'd see through his promise. Where was he now? Somewhere in the afterlife. He passed on, so there was no feasible way to contact him.

Something rubbing against my leg suddenly brought me out of my train of thought. Jii-Jii was walking under my legs, purring up a storm. I expected him to be in Megumi's room. We had a mutual understanding that we didn't like being near each other. But as he looked up at me with his large blue eyes, I knew he was demanding my attention.

"What is it?" I asked as I picked him up from the floor. "You should be with Megumi. She needs you more than I do." I scratched behind his ears, which started the purring up again. For some reason, his comfort also comforted me. No wonder Megumi was so fond of him. "I don't know if this means you like me or not, but I appreciate the company." He meowed in response.

"I doubt you can understand me, but it doesn't matter. Right now I just take comfort in talking to someone who I haven't hurt, or hasn't been hurt by Mitsuki. I have one more chance to save everyone I love, but I just don't know what to do. I'd ask for your help, but…" I laughed. I couldn't believe myself. I was talking to a cat. And if I didn't know any better, I was sure Jii-Jii understood me.

The cat suddenly jumped out of my lap as if he lost interest in me. He began mewling at me, wanting more of my attention. Once he knew he had my attention, he continued through the hallway until he was in the bedroom Mai and I shared.

I couldn't believe I was following this cat. So far, I didn't see what was so important. Jii-Jii stopped on our dresser in front of the vanity mirror. He jumped off when I approached. I didn't know what he wanted me to see, until I saw the locket on the dresser. It was the one given to Megumi on Christmas five years ago. It was also the same locket found by my brother right before he died. Mai and I didn't want to give it to Megumi until she was older, so we locked it away. I wondered how it managed to get on the dresser.

When I opened it, I found my and Gene's original names and the date of our birth. I remembered when I saw the vision of that terrible day when Gene died. He just came out the store, and the traffic abruptly turned red as he was walking down the street…

I looked up away from the locket. I dropped it when I saw the figure in the mirror. Gene… He just stood there by the window with that innocent yet coy smile on his face. I turned to see if he was really there or if this was some sick hallucination to find Jii-Jii sitting on the window sill.

I sat on the bed to catch my breath. How could I believe Gene was still here at my time of moment? Seeing him in the mirror smiling at me like that… Anyone else would believe it was some kind of sign, but I, however, never took these "signs" seriously, unless there was some kind of logical truth behind them. But tonight, everything changed.

I knew what Mitsuki wanted.


	12. Vengeance

**Chapter 11: Vengeance**

Once I knew what to do, I called the first person I knew wouldn't turn me down: Yasu.

I didn't get a reply from him when I sent the notice about my true identity, but as soon as I emailed him again, I received an immediate reply:

_**Anything for Oliver Davis!**_

I didn't know if he was mocking me or not. You could never tell with Yasu. But I appreciated having his help, though I was a little curious as to why he still willing to assist me. I sent him a notice about the meeting I had with the others, so I expected no response, or at least some sort of bitter response. I was grateful Yasu wasn't one to hold a grudge.

With SPR momentarily closed, I arranged for us to meet in my office. No one but us would know about our meeting. When I first saw the young man enter the office—not so young since he was as old as I was—I was surprised to see how much he'd changed in appearance. As an adult, Yasu developed handsome features. His face was firm, he was as tall as I was, and a little stubble covered his chin (but as far as appearances went, I was of no competition).

"I'm sorry to hear about Mai, Naru," Yasu said. "And I'm sorry that I wasn't here to help you these past couple weeks, but I was busy at the U, so—"

"It's alright, Yasu," I said. "I realize you were preoccupied during that time. I understand."

"I'll be glad to make up for lost time by helping you with this case. I didn't realize the situation was so dire. First Megumi, now Mai…" Yasu stopped a moment to take everything in. "I'm guessing the others didn't take everything as well as I have."

"That's why I need you, Yasu. You're the only one I can rely on right now."

"What about Lin and Madoka?"

"I don't want them anymore involved. They have a child of their own to think about and I've taken enough of Madoka's advice," I said ruefully.

"What about… your parents?" he asked delicately.

My eyes narrowed at the mention but I tried not to sound bitter. "They've done enough."

Yasu looked away awkwardly. "Okay… What'd you call me to do, boss? I'm at your command!"

"Very well. I'm sure you're aware of the situation. The lingering spirit of my late aunt Mitsuki has possessed Masako-san, and we have very little time until her soul will be completely lost. The last time I tried to stop Mitsuki I used my PK, but unfortunately that wasn't enough. I have a better solution, but it's fatal. In order to completely get rid of her, I'm afraid I'll have to force her back into the Demon Gate and exorcise her there myself."

"Sorry if I sound condescending," Yasu suddenly said, "but how will you be able to do that? You're not a spiritualist."

"Lin has taught me many things besides how to control my power. Using my powers in the sphere of the Demon Gate won't be as fatal as using my PK without it since I'll be surrounded by a field of spiritual energy, but it'll be harder to get rid of her since she's at her peak."

"So where do I come in?"

"You're going to help me."

"And how do I do that?"

I smirked.

* * *

"So, why do I have to handle the monitors?"

"You only need to look at this one, Yasu," I explained to him as we set up base. We were still at SPR; I had Yasu help me arrange my office into a base. But unlike our usually cases, there were only two monitoring screens. "I'm going to set up two cameras, but you only need to look at this monitor." I indicated to the one on the left. "The other one monitors the temperature of the room, indicating the amount of paranormal activity. I'll be wearing a microphone so you can tell me if something goes wrong. I'm sure I'd be able to but two and two together—"

"Of course."

"—but just in case something happens, I need someone else on the other side to help me."

"Glad to help," the young man said happily. "But," he continued as we set up the rest of the base, "I still don't understand why you only called me when you could have people like Bou-san and Lin-san—spiritualists who can back you up in case you're in danger. I mean, when it comes to tech and historical references, I'm your man, but when it comes to the actual spiritual contact, I'm useless."

"I'm afraid I can't rely on anyone else. Everyone seems to have lost their trust in me—not after I lied to them about so much."

"But they should be able to understand why you did it, don't you think?" I stopped working, caught off guard by his blunt statement. "Don't get me wrong. When I got your email, I was a bit furious. I mean, why wouldn't you want your friends to help you with this sort of problem, and why would you keep it a secret for so long? You've done these sorts of things in the past—hiding information from us during a case or pulling an incredible stunt that left us speechless—but I gotta say this really took the cake.

"But as I thought about it, I realized that maybe I was overreacting. This was just typical Naru stuff." My eyebrow twitched in irritation. "Not to mention you were just thinking about what was best for your family. It's completely understandable, Naru. Whatever happened with this Mitsuki lady years ago is in the past, nothing we should be really worrying… until now, I mean. And I know it's frustrating to think that nobody thinks you can handle this problem yourself. I felt the same way in high school. My parents obviously saw that I was having a hard time and suggested that I transfer. I went against it and dealt with the harsh labor, but it was very I couldn't do it alone.

"You see," he said in conclusion, "I don't really blame anyone. You lied for the sake of your family and no trusts you because they think you don't trust them."

"Yasu," I said, exasperated, "was there a point to that protruding story?"

"The point is that sometimes people need to be open-minded. You can try to do things yourself, but it's nice to have a little help, you know?" Then he laughed. "Besides, I don't think I'd be as useful as Lin."

It was the most obvious piece of advice and it took a speech from Yasu for me to finally realize what I've been doing wrong. And I was certain that he knew I knew he was right, too. Could my pride get any lower.

It took us the rest of the day to set up the equipment since we were the only ones doing the work. When we were finished, I had Yasu go home and get some rest for tomorrow. It was only going to be the two of us, and we both needed to be prepared for what was to come.

Before I went home, I decided to pay Mai a little visit. She was fast asleep when I saw her, and she looked paler than before. I took her hand into mine and pressed it against my lips. "Don't worry, Mai," I whispered into her palm. "I'm going to end this. You and the baby won't have to suffer for much longer."

As I spoke to her, it almost sounded like I was saying goodbye. Maybe it was. There was something in the back of my mind that was telling me that this case may be my mortal downfall. Now that Mitsuki had so much power, I would have to do everything I could to get rid of her permanently, even if it meant endangering my life; I would do anything to protect my family. My PK wasn't enough the last time, and I knew I needed to do something more affective, something that would make sure she was never able to return to the land of the living again.

After my visit with Mai, I returned home. Madoka agreed to watch Megumi while I was at the office. No doubt she was curious of my plans, so I acted fictitiously oblivious. Megumi was already asleep by the time I arrived home.

"She just tuckered out in front of the television," Madoka told me as she held her slumbering son.

"How was she during the day?"

"She was great. She was basically bubbly ole' Megumi. She ate more today. She spent a lot of time with Jun and Jii-Jii. She really adores that cat." I wasn't very surprised. Megumi's bond with the black cat grew daily and the two began to grow more inseparable. "But she won't go into another room without him. I think she's still afraid."

"I see…" No matter how strong she seemed, I couldn't forget that Megumi was still my little girl. She was just as frightened as she was before. "Thank you again for watching over her, Madoka. Can you come back tomorrow?"

"Sure. I'll be here tomorrow, same time. Now I got to take this little guy home. I'll see you later, Noll." I said nothing as I stroked Megumi's head. "You know, Noll, just because your friends weren't very… agreeable about how you handled your predicament doesn't mean…"

"Madoka, I appreciate your concern, but please." My voice was stern and to the point. I didn't want to discuss this any further.

With a sigh, she replied, "Alright. You know there's always help where you need it."

"I know."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Madoka."

When she left, I looked down at my little girl as she slept. Jii-Jii was curled up next to her. I kissed her forehead lightly. The soft gesture was enough to wake her. "Daddy?"

"_Shh_…" I took her hand. "Go back to sleep."

"Will you stay with me?" she whispered hoarsely.

I smiled at her. "Sure, Hime." I couldn't say no to her. After all, this could be the last time I had to spend with her.

* * *

The next day, I met Yasu at the office. "Are you ready?"

"Ready at your command, boss!"

"Good."

"So, you think that your deceased aunt will be okay with you setting up cameras in Masako's home in order to get rid of her soul for good?"

"No," I replied, "but that's the fun of it."

However, I didn't go to Masako's home. Mitsuki was expecting another guess from me soon, but she didn't say where. If my plan was going to work, then I'd need a vast open space. She'd know I was expecting her, so she'd know where to find me.

I was in an old abandoned building not far from SPR. As I waited, I set up the cameras and drew a circle in the main entrance. It wasn't a moment too soon when I heard someone open the front door and I saw a small figure enter.

"I see you've found me," I said.

Hara-san smiled coyly. "Yes, well, it's fairly easy to track down such raw power, Naru." Masako began to make her way towards the circle. "Have you your final guess?"

"Yes, I do. It took me a while, but I finally figured out what someone like you would want from me." Masako's form continued to move closer to the circle. "Spirits like you with so much stolen power are only after one thing: Revenge. I know you're after me, Mitsuki. You've always been, and the only way I had to learn was through the suffering of everyone precious to me. It was me you wanted all along. You want me dead."

Mitsuki, as she was trapped in Masako's body, clapped. "Well done, Naru. I didn't think it would take this long, but you finally did it."

"But I wasn't going to go through all this suffering just to die in the end. I'm going to end you permanently, Mitsuki."

"And how exactly are you going to do that?"

"By luring you into this trap."

"What!" Mitsuki didn't realize it was too late until she was inside the circle. Masako's eyes glowed red with rage.

"You're completely powerless in Hara-san's body, Mitsuki. She's simply an innocent medium; she has no power to offer to you. How about you let her free; you can't possibly get to me when you're hiding like a coward, can you?"

"A coward am I?"

Suddenly, Masako's body went limp. I caught her before she fell. A groan fell through her lips. "N-Naru…?"

"It's okay, Masako. Just keep your eyes closed. There's something I have to do." I set her down before facing Mitsuki once again.

Her form was more solid than the last time I saw her. She looked like a woman, but her body was surrounded by a black mist of dark energy I knew was not something I should get anyway near. She almost resembled my mother, only her eyes weren't filled with any sort of kindness or love. They were swirling with malevolence and hatred.

"This ends here, Mitsuki." I pulled my hands together and concentrated my PK.

Mitsuki gave a harsh laugh. _**"You think that'll destroy me this time? Haven't you learned, Kazuya?" **_She struck a blow, but I easily dodged it, losing my concentration. _**"You have to be sharper than that to try and stop me!"**_

"I know," I mumbled. "I just got to improvise." I sent tiny bursts of my energy her way, but they were mere specks to her. She simply flicked them away before retaliating. Of course, I wasn't very surprised that she wasn't as merciful as I was, but I wasn't planning on losing so soon, or winning for that matter. I just needed to run her down; however, she didn't seem to be losing as much energy as I was. Suddenly, an incredible force jammed into my chest, knocking the wind out of me. I shook as I tried to stand. My chest ached. My vision was spinning; a sudden nauseous feeling started to come up. "Damn."

"_**Nice try, Kazuya, but I have more power in the Demon's Circle. There's nothing on Earth that can stop me!"**_

"_Naru, you okay?_" I heard Yasu say. "_Don't wo… I s… backup…_" I could barely make out what he was saying. The other end was all static and I was in a tizzy. I was losing this battle very quickly.

For a moment, I believed that to be true. Why did I think I could conquer her on my own? I just needed to keep her down and I couldn't even do that by myself. But then a sudden miracle happened. I didn't know if it was God Himself who was merciful enough to help me, but then I saw someone standing over me. "Noll, get up!" Lin pulled me up before I could react. "Are you alright?"

My hand remained on my aching chest and it was taking me a while to recover my vertigo, but I was able to give him a nod of a reply. "How… How did you…?"

"Yasu called me last night." Frankly, I wasn't very surprised, especially after the conversation we had the other day. We both knew this would happen. "What were you thinking? You don't have the proper training—you could've killed yourself!"

"I'm not dead yet, Lin," I murmured. "Did you come alone?"

"No. I brought Takigawa-san. He's is warding off the spirit."

I looked over to see the monk himself performing his usual incantations. "That won't be enough. She's a vengeful spirit. She's too attached to this world to pass on, and her soul's too bitter. We need to exorcise her. Do you think you can take her out with your _shiki_?"

"I can wear her down, but I doubt it'll be enough to completely get rid of her."

"Just keep her in the circle. I have a plan."

Suddenly, Takigawa was thrown out of the Demon's Circle. "Son of a…!"

"_**Fools!"**_ Mitsuki cackled. _**"Why waste your time? I'm invincible!"**_

With my hand still on my chest, I grimaced as I slowly reached into the inside pocket of my jacket and took out two _hitogata_. "Naru, where's you get those?"

"Don't worry about it." I threw the two wooden figures into the circle. Two glowing forms began to grow.

"What… Who are those people?"

I smirked. When the two florescent spirits finally formed, they both looked back at me with their golden brown eyes before going forward towards Mitsuki. She threw a few whirlwinds sickles at them, but the apparitions weren't fazed by any of her attacks. _**"St-stay back!"**_ The apparitions suddenly began to dissolve from their humanoid forms into balls of energy and enveloped Mitsuki. _**"NO! This will not be the end of me!"**_

"Lin! The circle!"

He nodded to me. "Got it!"

However, before Lin could disperse, one of the figures turned back to me. I could barely make out their smile. "_Take care of her, Kazuya_." And as soon as the circle was gone, so were they. I heaved a sigh of relief. It was finally over. Mitsuki had perished, forever.

"You want to tell me what the hell you were thinking?" Takigawa said once he was off the floor. "You were lucky Yasu called us up and—"

"You can reprimand me later," I interrupted. "Right now, Hara-san needs a medic."

Takigawa frowned a bit before going over to the comatose medium.

"Are you feeling alright, Naru?" Lin asked in concern. "You didn't use any of your PK, did you?"

I winced again when I pressed a hand to my chest. "A bit. I think… I'll be fine." But I could tell my face didn't show it. My breath was getting ragged and I began to tremble. Lin immediately went to my side. He had me put my arm around his neck his hand went to my waist.

Then he took the microscope. "Yasu, call an ambulance. Tell it to come here."

"_Got it!_"

My vision was starting to fade. When Lin saw this, he immediately slapped me. "Don't you dare leave me, Naru! Stay awake!" His voice began to fade as well. Everything around me was swimming. It wasn't long until I was finally found peace in the infinite darkness. Even though I knew I might not wake up, I knew I could sleep soundly knowing my family was finally safe.

* * *

I didn't remember what happened after that. All I knew was that the very next moment, I awoke to a dazzling light and white was everywhere. I was still a bit feeble after that encounter with Mitsuki, but I felt a bit refreshed. From what I could gather, I was in the hospital—not surprising since I've been in this situation so many times. I could hear a few voices behind the door. Then Madoka and Lin came into the room. As soon as they saw me awake, Madoka ran to me.

"Noll, I'm so glad you're awake!" she cried. Lin had a small grin on his face.

"How long have I been out?" I inquired.

"Only a few days, luckily."

"Does anyone else know that I'm here?"

Madoka sighed. "Typical Noll; always wanting to get down to business. And what you did was completely senseless and stupid. But I'm still happy you're okay."

"Everyone is aware that you're in the hospital, Noll," Lin answered, "even your parents. Your mother just left."

I wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Instead I asked, "What happened to Hara-san?"

"She was discharged yesterday. She doesn't remember what has happened these past few months and the doctors thought it would be better if she recovered at home."

I bowed my head for a moment before asking, "And what about Mai and Megumi? How are they?"

"Don't worry," Madoka said. "They don't know you're here." I sighed in relief. "They're both doing better. Megumi's with Mai, and she's awake. She's showing good progress, actually. We had a nice conversation a few minutes ago—"

"I want to see her." When I tried to get out of bed, something inside my chest clenched and I hissed in pain.

Madoka pushed me back down. "Noll, you have a broken rib. You shouldn't even being sitting up. You need to stay in bed and rest."

"I don't care."

"But you should really—"

"Madoka, we can keep arguing, or you could stop wasting this time to help me get to Mai. I'm going to see her no matter what you say."

Tongue-tied, Madoka tried so desperately to think of a way to convince me to stay put and get examined by a doctor, but before she could impeach me, Lin spoke out, "It's no use, Madoka. You should know by now how stubborn those two can be."

With a sigh from his wife, Lin and Madoka began to help me. Lin offered to get me a wheelchair, but I immediately rejected it. Though my legs still felt numb and my chest felt like it was on fire, I was finally able to convince them that I could walk on my own. Nothing was going to stop me from seeing my wife.

As soon as we were there, I put on hand on the doorknob and squeezed it for a moment before pushing it open. Inside, my wife was reading a book to Megumi, who was lying next to her on the bed. She was smiling and laughing with our little girl—another alleviating sign that she was healthy. Her skin was no longer pale. Her abdomen was still heavy with child. I was never so relieved to see my family in the hospital.

When they noticed they had company, Mai and Megumi looked up from her book and smiled. "Naru!"

"Daddy!" Megumi got up from the bed and ran to me. Despite my pain, I knelt down and hugged her. The feeling of my little girl in my arms soothed the pain.

"I'm so happy to see you, too, Megumi."

When I looked back at Mai, there was a look of alarm on her face. "What happened to you? Why are you in a hospital robe?"

Lin helped me from floor so I could walk over to Mai. Madoka pulled over a chair for me. As soon as I was settled down, Madoka and Lin left us alone. "How are you feeling?"

Mai looked down at her stomach sadly. She rubbed it gently. "I'm… We're both fine." I put a hand over hers. "I wish I'd known. I could've protected them both."

I kissed her palm. "It'll be alright now. She's gone."

Mai looked up at me. "What?"

"Yes, Mitsuki is no longer with us. She's been exorcised."

Mai continued to stare at me in disbelief. "How you'd manage to do it? It didn't work the first time you…" She gasped. "Your chest…" I looked down. My bandages were exposed.

"Mai, it's nothing to worry about."

"But…"

I kissed her. "It's alright," I whispered to her softly. "All that matters is that she's gone and we're all safe. I promised that I would protect you." I pulled Megumi onto my lap. "All of you. And I will always live up to that promise no matter what it takes." I kissed her forehead.

Mai sighed. "If giving me a heart attack is your way of showing you care, can you at least warn me when you're going to do something so reckless first?"

I laughed before kissing her one more time. "No promises."

* * *

**It took me forever, but I finally finished this chapter! And there's only a chapter and an epilogue to go!**

_**R&R!**_


	13. Resolutions

**Chapter 12: Resolutions**

As we were stuck in the hospital, Mai and I spent our time alone. I was finally moved into her room so we didn't have to be so mobile, and Megumi visited us almost everyday when she wasn't with my mother. Everything was beginning to return to normal.

A week later, Mai and I were allowed to leave the hospital together. But even with our clean bill of health and Mitsuki's permanent demise, I still had a few things to resolve. For one thing, Takigawas and my parents were still a very troubled by my sudden act. I was yet to explain so much, but I strictly instructed Lin to tell everyone I would answer all their questions and explain to them what I did in the future. On the other hand, I still had a few things to discuss with Masako.

The time had finally come when I was discharged, and I left the hospital with only a small scar on my chest. Of course, I wasn't permitted to go to work for a while, so the office was closed once again. But this gave me enough time to confront the poor medium. Lin decided to accompany me; he and Madoka didn't want to take any more chance in case I decided to do something unreasonably foolish again.

The last I heard from her, Masako wasn't doing any better. Since she was in such a terrible condition, she was tended and cared for by some hired help courtesy of her manager, Hiragashi-san. From what I heard, they did their best, but she didn't seem to be improving. She was really torn.

As soon as we arrived at her abode, her manager welcomed us at the door. He led us upstairs were her room was. "She hasn't said a word since she came home," he said. "I thought maybe you'd be able bring out a response from her."

"I'll see what I can do," I said. He left Lin and me in the hallway. "I think I can handle this alone."

"Noll."

"It's okay. She won't hurt me, and there's nothing she can do to actually cause me harm."

Lin stood back precariously as he watched me approach Masako's door. I knocked when she suddenly allowed me to enter. When I was inside, I found the medium packing a suitcase. She looked better, well taken care of; I didn't see anything wrong with her. "Hara-san, it's good to see you about. Are you feeling better?"

When she turned to me, she gave me a glowing smile. "Yes, I feel much better, thank you. But I can't stay long."

"What do you mean?"

"Unfortunately, I haven't fully recovered from the incident." She stopped packing and sat on her bed. "I still feel awful about what I did to you and your family, Naru. I didn't mean…" Her voice quavered a bit and I saw her eyes were becoming glassy.

"It's not your fault, Hara-san. You had no control over your actions. It was Mitsuki's doing."

"But I was an accessory!" she suddenly cried out. She quickly covered her mouth after that sudden outburst.

"You can look at it any way you want, Hara-san, but you're still not at fault. We're not putting any charges on you. You're completely free."

"But that's not it." She took a deep breath before clarifying. "I would've eventually been able to gain back control, but Mitsuki manipulated my feelings and I started to lose myself. The truth is that I still loved you, Naru, even after you and Mai got married, and Mitsuki used that to her advantage. My jealousy fueled her, it made her more powerful, and that was my fault. I can say sorry a thousand times and I still don't think that would be enough, and knowing that it could possibly happen again, I knew I had to do something. That's why I'm going to America to be with my parents. Japan is filled with ghosts and the best way I can recover is to get away from all of this paranormal activity."

I nodded in understanding. "Your manager called me so I could talk to you, but I can see you have everything under control." She didn't respond. "You didn't tell him about your plan, did you?"

"You won't say anything, will you?"

"It's none of my concern." She smiled in appreciation. "I hope you have a safe trip to America."

"Arigatou, Naru."

When I put my hand on the door, I murmured a curt "Good luck" before leaving. Lin looked at me expectantly. "Let's go," I said. He didn't bother to ask me what happened—it seemed unusual for Lin, but then I remembered he wasn't as meddlesome as his wife.

"So, what happened," Mai asked as soon as I entered the hospital room. Madoka was in the chair next to her bed with Jun in her lap. Megumi was sitting on the bed next to Mai, her head lying resting on her mother's baby bump.

"She's going to America."

"Really?" the two women said in disbelief.

"She thinks if she gets away from the lingering ghosts, she'll be able to recover better and faster."

"But America of all places?" Madoka said. "They're the ones who make the paranormal seem like some kind of entertaining blood fest!"

"After being in so many cases," Mai said, "the blood fest part is pretty accurate."

"She'll be with family," I added. "I'm sure they'll do their best to get away from the press."

"Even after all she put us through, I still feel really bad for her. None of this was her fault."

I neglected to tell her about what Masako told me about her unrequited love and how her jealousy made Mitsuki even more powerful than before, but I knew Mai didn't need to hear that right now. The last thing any of us needed was more anger and alloys of vengeance. That was what made Mitsuki so powerful in the first place. These negative feelings did no good for anyone, and Masako had to learn that the hard way.

"So, you've confronted Masako," Madoka said. "Now what are you going to do about everyone else? You're not going to keep the truth from them again, are you?"

"Of course not," I said. "I'll talk to them, eventually."

"Naru, you need to confront this now."

"Madoka, don't push him," Lin commanded. "He'll tell them when he's ready. On the other hand, everyone, including you, needs to understand why Naru did everything he did in the first place. In fact, if I was in his place, I think I would've done the same thing, or something rather similar." I looked at Lin with gratefulness and a bit of astonishment. "You did all of this to protect your family, Noll. I hold no resentment for that."

Lin was a man of few words, and in the past, he agreed with most of my decision as much as everyone else did. So hearing him defend me like that—against _Madoka_, his _wife_, of all people—actually touched my heart. "Arigatou, Lin."

"And Naru won't have to face this alone," said Mai. "I'll be there when you need me."

I took her hand. "I know. But I'll be okay, Mai."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Lin answered it, spoke inaudibly to whoever was on the other side, and curtly shut the door. "The Takigawas, John, and Yasu are here."

"Perfect," I muttered, though I didn't mean for it to sound sarcastic this time. Now that they were here, I could talk to them and get it over with.

Outside, I confronted the angry Takigawas, the generous priest, and the ever so humble Yasuhara. Before I spoke, Lin generously said, "Naru did what he had to. What's done is done. There's no need pry on his plans anymore. It's over." Then he went back in the room.

"I'm sure you all came here to yell at me for my stupidity," I started.

John rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Actually…"

"You damn right we are!" the male Takigawa said.

"Well," the female Takigawa said, shoving her husband aside. "After all you put us through, the lies you told, the things you failed to tell us and then nearly killing yourself by performing a dangerous, nearly impossible exorcism… I'm not mad, at least, not anymore." Everyone stared at the miko in surprise. Even I was a little baffled. Ayako was notorious for expressing her strong opinion, mainly her angry opinions. I had to see how she would explain herself.

"After that little meeting we had the other day, I have to say I've never been so angry with you—no, with _anyone_—in my whole entire life, and it doesn't take much to make me angry." We all silently agreed with her. "But then I realized my anger was the only thing getting in the way of actually listening. You did what you did to protect your family, to protect Mai, and to protect yourself. But Naru, that doesn't mean you can't trust us. After what we've been through together, we consider you our friend. You and Mai are just as important to us. Just promise to tell when you're about to do something stupid first, okay?"

I nodded in appreciation. "I'll consider it. Arigatou, Ayako. I have to admit I expected a fiercer lecture."

"So did I!" her husband cried in distraught.

"Oh, shut up, you!" she said before hitting him in the back of the head. "It's about time we stopped acting like children!"

Takigawa rubbed his bruise head begrudgingly. "Fine, fine. I guess you're right. I'm glad you're not dead. It wouldn't be the same without you."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Takigawa. I'm sure Mai would like to see you all." The Takigawas nodded before moving past me.

"It's good to see you're okay, Kazuya," John said before he followed them inside.

The only left was Yasu, who was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets the whole time. "Don't you have anything to say to me?"

He shrugged. "It's like I've been saying all along. But there's something I wanted to ask about the case, about those ghosts that appeared. You seemed to have recognized them." My hand stopped on the doorknob. "You did recognize them, didn't you?"

I slowly turned back to Yasu. "Yes. The apparitions that helped me were… Mai's parents."

Yasu's eyes widened. "Whoa, heavy. Have you told Mai?"

"I have a feeling her parents don't want me to. Their only intention was to keep their daughter safe and happy, to have her forget about the past. If they didn't show up, I doubt Mai would've done that."

Yasu nodded. "I see. So I'm guessing you want this to be our little secret."

"I'd appreciate it."

"No prob, boss." I stepped aside to allow Yasu in first.

I sighed in relief. The SPR team was the least of my problems now. All was forgiven, but my work wasn't done. There was still one thing I needed to take care of.

* * *

The next day, Mai was released from the hospital. That was also the last day my parents would be staying in Japan. They had been away from home and work long enough, but I wasn't going to let them leave without reaching true closure. Well, at least Mai wouldn't allow me to.

As soon as she was out of the hospital, she immediately called my mother and asked her to come over (though Mai claimed that she just wanted her to come over so Megumi could say goodbye to her grandmother, but I knew Mai better than that), and when Luella came, so would Martin. I could only imagine the look on his face once I told him. I was sure he wouldn't be as understanding as our friends or even my mother.

Feeling my distress, Mai put a warm hand on top of mine. "It'll be okay," she said.

"After my father's performance, I'm not so sure."

"Your father loves you, Naru. He may not agree with most of your decisions, but that doesn't mean he won't be just as understanding."

"He used to be," I muttered, "until he found out about you and Megumi."

Mai frowned. "Well… most parents wouldn't be very happy to find out their kids decided to have a family at such a young age. I'm sure my parents wouldn't have." I averted my eyes elsewhere when she said that. "But I'm sure they've already gotten past that. Your mother has."

"That's my mother, Mai."

"I'm sure it will work out with your dad, too. I mean, you got Bou-san and Ayako to forgive you. How hard could it be to talk to your dad?" I shook my head. She had no idea. "And Megumi and I will be with you so you have nothing to worry about."

I looked down at my little girl who was playing with the black cat. "Is there any particular reason why he has to be here?"

Mai grinned at me. "He'll be there for you, too." When she saw that I didn't believe her she laughed. "Come on, Naru. You and Jii-Jii have to make nice someday."

I frowned. My relationship with that stupid cat went back downhill after Mitsuki was gone. Though he was helpful around that point, Jii-Jii was still the little nuisance my family had come to adore and I have come to abhor. "That cat better behave," was all I could say.

When my parents finally came, Megumi didn't hesitate to run into her grandmother's arms. "Obaa-san!"

"Megumi! You're looking better."

"Daddy and Jii-Jii helped me get better!"

"Did they? And how are you feeling, Mai? You just got out of the hospital, didn't you? You shouldn't be on your feet! Lie down, grab a chair or something!"

Mai laughed nervously. "I'm fine, really. I didn't want to be asleep while you visited. This is your last day in Japan, after all. And as long as you're here, you're our guests. Would you like some tea?" Mai looked at me before taking my mother and Megumi into the kitchen.

I was left alone with my father.

He stood stiffly in the hallway with his arms crossed. I stood with one hand in my pocket. Our eyes refused to meet. But we both knew if we continued to stand in the hallway like this, we would be in this stalemate for a while and nothing would be accomplished.

"Father, I'm sure Mother explained…"

"There's no need, Noll," he said. "After a long talk with your mother and some time to myself, I realized that I haven't been fair to you or Mai these past couple weeks. I'm going to be honest, son; it's going to take me a while deal with this change. I was hoping to be a grandfather, but not this early. You and Mai are still so young. You had so much you could have lived for."

"I know. But we can handle it. I was hoping you would understand. I did all I did so I could protect this family." He didn't seem too convinced. In fact, the mention of Mai just seemed to put him off. "I love you, Father, and I love Mai also. I hope you two will get to know each other in the future. She is my wife, Megumi is our daughter, and that's something you're going to have to accept."

Martin sighed. "Like I said, it's going to take a while."

I nodded my head. "It still means something knowing you're going to try."

My father patted my shoulder. "Well, the most important thing is that we know you're safe. That was the main point of this trip, anyway. We just ran into a few bumps along the way."

I smirked. "Well, I'm sure you two would like to leave before you hit a few more bumps. Let's go get Mother before she suffocates my wife."

We entered the kitchen to find Mai and Luella having a nice conversation, and, as per usual, it was about me. Fortunately, I was able to cut their conversation short before she could tell Mai about more embarrassing moments in my childhood.

"Oh, Megumi! I'm going to miss you so much!" my mother said in a sad, exaggerated tone as she squeezed Megumi to death. "Don't forget your poor little grandmother!"

My father and I rolled our eyes. "Come on, Luella. Don't suffocate the poor girl. We don't want to be late for our flight."

"Oh, alright." When she was done hugging Megumi, she went over to Mai. "Promise to call when the baby comes. I wish I could be there myself, but we do have a business to run."

"I understand," Mai said before giving her a hug.

Then it was my turn. "Nolly! Please call. No more neglecting to call your parents after five years, okay?"

"I promise," I said with a sigh.

Then she leaned forward. "So, you worked out things in the end with your father?"

I looked back at my father, who seemed to be having a civil conversation with my wife. "Everything hasn't been solved," I said, "but he promised he would at least try to accept this change."

She smiled. "Well, that's a step in the right direction. At least you're not fighting anymore."

With one last goodbye, my parents were gone. Never in my life had I felt so relieved.

"See, I told it wouldn't be so bad," Mai said.

"I didn't have a doubt." Mai rolled her eyes before giving me a kiss.

"Okaa-san, I'm hungry," Megumi whined.

"Alright. Alright. I'll start lunch. Go in the other room and play."

"For once, Mai, I agree with my mother," I said. "I think you should take a seat and relax. You just got home from the hospital."

"Don't you start with me, Noll."

"Mai…"

She sighed. "Fine. But at least let me get the tea. Your mom left before she could even get a…" I grew concerned when she gasped. Mai was standing in the middle of the kitchen with both hands on her stomach.

"Mai? Are you alright?" When she didn't respond, I grew apprehensive. "Mai, tell me what's wrong. Is it the baby?" She nodded. Fresh tears fell down her cheeks. "Are you in pain?" She shook her head. "Then what—"

She took my hand and set in on her swollen abdomen. I felt something bump against my hand. My eyes widened and looked up into Mai's. Her glassy eyes were filled with joy. "That was the first time the baby kicked," Mai said. "Can you believe it?"

I smiled. A tear of my own fell. When I felt our child kick for the first time, it was like I was finally back in reality. Mitsuki was gone. My growing family was safe. Everything was returning back to normal.

* * *

**It seemed like a rushed ending, but I hope you enjoyed it!**

**Next is the last installment of Death isn't Enough!**

_**R&R!**_


	14. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

One month later, Megumi turned five-years-old.

Two months later, SPR opened back up to the public.

Three months later, life was as normal as it could be.

Of course, now that SPR was open, people began entering with more ridiculously fabricated stories of haunting in their homes not mention the Takigawas arguing and John standing on the sidelines helplessly. It was frustrating, but the usual routine was also a nice reminder that everything was as it should be.

Mai, my stubborn wife, wouldn't tolerate lying around despite the fact that she was on maternity leave. But, since she was so stubborn, I allowed her to come to the office with me as long as she didn't do anything more than make tea. And it was soothing knowing that I could keep an eye on her while I was working. Mitsuki might've been gone, but I didn't want to push my luck—though luck was a relative term since my life was based on the decisions I made and the lies I told to others. Of course, Mai and I were just happy to be with each other. And it was truly enjoyable.

A week later, I was getting ready to go back to the hospital with Megumi. Most of our visits were usually on a serious note, but this one was an exception.

"Megumi, are you ready?"

The giddy little toddler ran into my arms. "I'm ready! But what about Jii-Jii?"

"Animals aren't allowed at the hospital, Hime. He'll be fine on his own. Did you leave enough food in his bowl?"

"Hai!"

"Then let's go."

The drive to the hospital was long and jovial and lively mostly due to Megumi's excitement, but I had to admit I was also impatient with joy even though I didn't show it.

Once we were at the hospital, I carried Megumi in until we were on the right floor. I set her down when we were in front of the door. "Remember to be careful and be quiet. Don't be too loud even when you see Okaa-san, okay?"

"Hai!" she said in a hushed tone.

I opened the door slowly so I wouldn't disturb the inhabitants. I saw Mai in bed beaming at the little bundle in her arms. When she noticed me, her smiled brightened. Megumi, the hyperactive toddler she was, squeezed right past me and ran into the room before I could stop her. "Okaa-san!" she cried out quietly.

"Megumi-chan, come meet your little brother."

Quietly, Megumi went over to the bed. Mai moved over a bit so she could get onto the bed. Megumi's wondering eyes gazed upon the infant with interest. "He's so tiny."

"You were this tiny when you were a baby, Megumi."

Thinking back, I remembered Megumi being a little smaller since she was born two months early. Our new son was only born a month earlier than he was supposed to, but Mai and I weren't in alert when he was coming. Since we had experience with this in the past, we had everything prepared in case his arrival was premature. He was born yesterday February 10th at 5:10, a healthy 4 pounds and 15 ounces, almost 5 pounds. It was one of the happiest moments of my life.

"How are you feeling, Mai?" I asked once I finally entered the room. I sat on the other side of the bed.

"Better than I did yesterday, that's for sure." She laughed a little under her breath. "You haven't held him yet, Naru, have you?"

I hesitated. No, I hadn't held my son yet, but he was not even a day old. I didn't know why, but I had this inner terror inside of me; it wasn't like anything I felt when I first held Megumi. Back then, she was about to die. Now, on this special occasion, the realization of having a healthy baby boy flushed me with relief and yet… I was still afraid to bear this new life.

Mai suddenly took my hand. "It's okay, Naru. Come here." She carefully pulled put the little bundle into my arms. The baby boy squirmed as he tried to get comfortable in this new set of arms. His mouth puckered a bit but his eyes remained closed. "See? He knows it's his daddy."

Looking at the little eyes, I smiled, feeling prideful. My son looked exactly like me and we were yet to see his eyes. It felt natural having him in my arms. "We still have to name him," I murmured softly.

"And we still have to call your parents."

I frowned. "We can do that later."

"Well, how about… Gene?"

My frown softened into a sullen grin. "No. That'll only bring back those terrible memories."

"I understand." I heard Mai hum under her breath. "His name should be unique. Megumi, can you think of anything?"

"*Hansuke!"

I looked back at Megumi in shock. She came up with that name quickly. On the other hand, Mai looked beyond shocked, almost fearful. "Where'd you hear that name, Megumi?"

She shrugged. "I just like it."

Mai looked at me with glassy eyes. "I like it, too," she said.

Then I looked back at my son who was still slumbering in my arms. "Hansuke. That's sounds… perfect."

I couldn't think of anything more perfect than this moment. Our family was safe and complete once again. Death wouldn't be enough because I would always be there to protect them.

**The End (Not really)**

* * *

**DIE Omake!**

"You've been married for five years, Houshou?"

"Yep."

"How long did you think you were going to hide this from the band?"

"I wasn't planning on hiding it long, Akio. Anyway, how's it going with the Sato biz? Are you and your family doing better?"

"Well, we don't have to deal with anymore fires, that's for sure!"

As the gentlemen laughed, another presence suddenly entered the house. "Hey, babe! How'd shopping go?" Houshou greeted. His wife looked back at him as if he were a ghost. What really surprised him was that Madoka was accompanying her. "What's up?" he asked in concern.

"Do you think we could talk alone?"

"Sure. Sorry, Akio."

"It's fine, man. I'll see you later."

Once Akio was gone, Houshou got off of the couch and went to his wife. "What's wrong with Ayako? What happened? Did they run out of her your favorite mascara?"

"Um, Bou-san," Madoka said, "you should really sit down for this. Ayako has something to tell you." The miko said nothing.

"Why?" As he waited for an answer, Ayako continued to stand still and say nothing. Her face was as white as a sheet. "Ayako?"

"I'm pregnant, okay!"

A moment of silence passed before the monk gave an actual response: he fainted.

Madoka smiled. "I think he took it well."

Ayako face-palmed. "Help me drag him onto the couch."

* * *

***Hansuke is the name of the guy who gave Mai advice in Chapter 23: Tears of "Our Love Made Mistakes". If no one's read that, then they're really missing out.**

**Well that's the end of "Death Isn't Enough"! Cheesy ending, I know. I didn't expect it to be this short especially since its prequel is much longer. Oh, and look out for the sequel "Mystic Files: The SPR Generation".**

_**R&R!**_


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